200 ILLEGITIMATE OFFSPEIKG OP Chap. V. 



case, as in some previous cases, pollen from legitimate plants 

 "added in a small degree to the fertility of the plant; and the 

 fertility would, perhaps, have been still greater had not the 

 summer of 1864 been very hot and certainly unfavourable to 

 some of the plants of Lythrum. 



Plant 23. This short-styled plant produced perfectly sound 

 pollen. During 1866 it was freely and legitimately fertilised by 

 the other illegitimate plants specified under the last experi- 

 ment, and eight capsules yielded an average of 113.5 seeds, 

 with a maximum of 123 and a minimum of 93. Hence this 

 plant exceeded the normal standard, producing no less than 136 

 per cent, of seeds. 



Plant 24. This long-styled plant produced pollen which 

 seemed under the microscope sound ; but some of the grains 

 did not swell when placed in water. During 1864 it was 

 legitimately fertilised by legitimate and illegitimate plants in 

 the same manner as Plant 22, but yielded an average, from ten 

 capsules, of only 55 seeds, with a maximum of 88 and a mini- 

 mum of 24, thus attaining 59 per cent, of the normal fertility. 

 This low degree of fertility, I presume, was owing to the un- 

 favourable season ; for during 1866, when legitimately fertilised 

 by illegitimate plants in the manner described under No. 22, it 

 yielded an average, from eight capsules, of 82 seeds, with a 

 maximum of 120 and a minimum of 67, thus producing 88 per 

 cent, of the normal number of seeds. 



Plant 25. The pollen of this long-styled plant contained a 

 moderate number of poor and shrivelled grains ; and this is a 

 surprising circumstance, as it yielded an extraordinary number 

 of seeds. During 1866 it was freely and legitimately fertilised 

 by illegitimate plants, as described under No. 22, and yielded 

 an average, from eight capsules, of 122 ■ 5 seeds, with a maximum 

 of 149 and a minimum of 84. Hence this plant exceeded 

 the normal standard, producing no less than 131 per cent, of 



Class VI. Illegitimate Plants raised from Mid-styleS, 

 Parents fertilised with fallen -from the shortest 

 stamens of the long-styled form. 



I raised from this union twenty-five plants, which 

 proved to be seventeen long-styled and eight mid- 



