JUNCACEAE 485 



protogyny is very feeble, and that the flowers open very soon, after the short stigmas 

 have projected a very little from the flower. The anthers dehisce soon after. In 

 many cases the flowers do not open very widely, and as the anthers do not project 

 beyond the perianth leaves, the pollen can only be removed from the flower by a very 

 strong wind. 



Schulz observed the variety rubella to be often completely homogamous in the 

 Riesengebirge, the stigmas maturing only when the flowers opened, and the anthers 

 dehiscing soon afterwards. The stigmas are white in colour, with short velvety papillae. 



2885. L. nivea DC. — The female stage in this species lasts 1-3 days, the 

 ensuing hermaphrodite one 1-4 days, and a male stage sometimes follows. The 

 stigma is like that of the preceding species. Autogamy is possible, but geitonogamy 

 by contact of the stigmas of one flower with the anthers of an adjacent one is 

 undoubtedly more frequent. Kemer also asserts that pollen-grains can easily 

 roll down the smooth, hollow inner side of the perianth leaves and reach the stigmas 

 of flowers situated at a lower level. The snow-white perianth leaves also occasionally 

 attract visitors, so that pollen may be transferred by this means. 



Visitors. — Hermann Miiller (' Alpenblumen,' p. 39), as already mentioned, 

 frequently observed a small flower-beetle in the blossoms. 



2886. L. pedemontana L. — The stigmas of flowers belonging to this species 

 resemble those of L. albida DC. 



2887. L. vemalis DC. (= L. pilosa Willd.). (Hildebrand, 'D. Geschlechts- 

 Vert. b. d. Pfl.,' p. 18; Warnstorf, Schr. natw. Ver., Wernigerode, xi, 1896.) — 

 Hildebrand mentioned the protogyny of this plant. Buchenau says that the female 

 stage lasts several (up to 7) days ; the ensuing hermaphrodite one ends on the day 

 on which the anthers dehisce. The stigmas are greenish-white in colour, with long 

 transparent papillae. Warnstorf states that the three stigmatic branches project 

 considerably beyond the anthers before the flower opens, and are beset with long 

 papillae. As the branches of the inflorescence are for the most part bent downwards 

 when the anthers dehisce, autogamy can easily take place. The pollen-grains are 

 whitish in colour, tetrahedral, smooth,. about 37 /x in diameter. 



2888. L. purpurea Link. — This species flowers continuously. Some of the 

 blossoms are entirely cleistogamous but phaenantherous. The chasmogamous 

 flowers open early in the morning, and are then female for a short time ; the ensuing 

 hermaphrodite stage is also brief. The flowers are iirmly closed at 3 p.m. The 

 stigmas are pale-green in colour, with very long transparent papillae. 



2889. L. rufescens Fisch. — Judging from herbarium material of this species, 

 anthesis takes a similar course to that of L. vemalis DC. and L. Hostii Desv. 



2890. L. maxima DC. (= L. sylvatica Gaud.). — This markedly protogynous 

 species does not flower intermittently. The stigmas project widely and completely 

 from the still-closed perianth. This female stage lasts one or two days. The 

 flowers then open and the anthers dehisce. When the perianth now closes the 

 stigmas are still quite or partially receptive, so that a second female stage seems 

 to follow the hermaphrodite one. The stigmas are pale-green in colour, with short 

 transparent papillae. 



