﻿426 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Botany. 
  

  

  pollen 
  grains 
  forming 
  tliem 
  are 
  bound 
  together 
  into 
  small 
  wedge-shaped 
  

   masses. 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  somewhat 
  sweet-scented, 
  and 
  though 
  dull-coloured 
  

   are 
  tolerably 
  conspicuous, 
  but 
  there 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  nectary. 
  

   Nor 
  from 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  parts 
  is 
  it 
  very 
  probable 
  that 
  an 
  insect 
  could 
  

   remove 
  the 
  pollinia, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  place 
  the 
  loose, 
  incoherent 
  grains 
  on 
  the 
  

   stigma 
  of 
  another 
  flower. 
  The 
  species 
  is 
  evidently 
  well 
  fitted 
  for 
  self- 
  

   fertilization. 
  In 
  nine 
  spikes 
  examined 
  by 
  me, 
  containing 
  altogether 
  75 
  

   open 
  flowers, 
  only 
  four 
  appeared 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  pollinia 
  partially 
  removed, 
  

   and, 
  even 
  in 
  these, 
  pollen 
  grains 
  were 
  adhering 
  to 
  the 
  stigma 
  and 
  anthers. 
  

  

  Imperfect 
  as 
  the 
  foregoing 
  notes 
  are, 
  they 
  still 
  point 
  to 
  the 
  correctness 
  

   of 
  the 
  general 
  principle 
  that 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  advantageous 
  to 
  a 
  plant 
  to 
  have 
  its 
  

   flowers 
  cross-fertilized 
  by 
  pollen 
  from 
  another 
  plant, 
  there 
  we 
  find 
  agencies 
  

   for 
  attracting 
  suitable 
  insects. 
  Thus 
  Earina 
  has 
  conspicuous 
  flowers, 
  sweet 
  

   scent, 
  and 
  succulent 
  tissue 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  ; 
  Denclrohium 
  has 
  showy 
  

   flowers 
  and 
  a 
  tolerably 
  perfect 
  nectary 
  ; 
  while 
  Corysanthes 
  has 
  conspicuous 
  

   flowers 
  and 
  sweet 
  juice. 
  In 
  all 
  three, 
  assistance 
  from 
  insects 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  

   absolutely 
  necessary. 
  Again, 
  Caladenia, 
  which 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  fitted 
  for 
  both 
  

   means 
  of 
  fertilization, 
  has 
  tolerably 
  conspicuous 
  flowers, 
  while 
  Microtis, 
  

   which 
  is 
  similarly 
  favoured, 
  has 
  the 
  rudiments 
  of 
  a 
  nectary, 
  but 
  the 
  former 
  

   would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  dependent 
  on 
  insect 
  aid 
  than 
  the 
  latter. 
  In 
  Vtero- 
  

   stylis 
  there 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  nothing 
  to 
  attract 
  insects, 
  as 
  the 
  flowers 
  are 
  green, 
  

   and, 
  as 
  pointed 
  out 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Cheeseman, 
  do 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  secrete 
  any 
  nectar, 
  

   nor 
  do 
  they 
  have 
  any 
  decided 
  scent. 
  Yet 
  in 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  

   orchids 
  are 
  the 
  appliances 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  desired 
  end 
  so 
  perfect 
  or 
  so 
  complex. 
  

   In 
  this 
  plant 
  only 
  one 
  species 
  of 
  insect 
  appears 
  adapted 
  to 
  each 
  particular 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  genus. 
  It 
  would 
  be 
  interesting 
  to 
  discover 
  whether 
  this 
  

   applies 
  to 
  other 
  New 
  Zealand 
  genera. 
  In 
  those 
  genera 
  which 
  are 
  almost, 
  

   if 
  not 
  altogether, 
  exclusively 
  self- 
  fertilized, 
  no 
  special 
  provision 
  for 
  attracting 
  

   insects 
  occurs, 
  if 
  we 
  except 
  the 
  handsome 
  perianth 
  of 
  Thehjinitra. 
  

  

  Ae*. 
  LXII. 
  — 
  Description 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  Species 
  of 
  Coprosma. 
  

   By 
  D. 
  Petrie, 
  M.A. 
  

   [Read 
  before 
  the 
  Otago 
  Institute, 
  8th 
  October, 
  1S78.] 
  

   J 
  Coprosma 
  virescens, 
  Petrie. 
  

   A 
  COMPACT 
  shrub, 
  six 
  to 
  ten 
  feet 
  high, 
  with 
  numerous 
  interlaced, 
  slender, 
  

   tortuous 
  branches 
  and 
  twigs 
  and 
  greenish 
  glabrous 
  bark 
  ; 
  leaves 
  glabrous, 
  

   membranous, 
  elliptico-spathulate, 
  quarter 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long 
  or 
  less, 
  in 
  dis- 
  

   tichous 
  fascicles 
  on 
  the 
  twigs 
  ; 
  stipules 
  connate, 
  forming 
  a 
  short 
  two- 
  

   lobed 
  tube 
  around 
  the 
  twigs* 
  

  

  