288 



DICECIOUS AND 



Chap. VII. 



those in the allied genus Celastrus are said to be 

 " polygamo-dioecious." If a number of bushes of our 

 spindle-tree be examined, about half will be found to 

 have stamens equal in length to the pistil, with well* 

 developed anthers; the pistil being likewise to all 

 appearance well-developed. The other half have a 

 perfect pistil, with the stamens short, bearing rudi- 

 mentary anthers destitute of pollen ; so that these 

 bushes are females. All the flowers on the same plant 

 present the same structure. The female corolla is 

 smaller than that on the polleniferous bushes. The 

 two forms are shown in the accompanying drawings. 



Fig. 12. 



Hermaphrodite or male. Female. 



EUONTMDS £UROP^0S. 



I did not at first doubt that this species existed 

 under an hermaphrodite and female form ; but we shall 

 presently see that some of the bushes which appear 

 to be hermaphrodites, never produce fruit, and these 

 are in fact males. The species, therefore, is poly- 

 gamous in the sense in which I use the term, and tri- 

 oicous. The flowers are freq.uented by many Diptera 

 and some small Hymenoptera for the sake of the 

 nectar secreted by the disc, but I did not see a single 

 bee at work ; nevertheless the other insects sufficed to 



