side. They are roll shaped projections, and can he 

 reached from the base of the tuhe through two clefts, 

 which are found on either side of the free stamens," 



""When the hloom reaches complete development the 

 tension in the stamen tuhe ceases so that the stamens 

 remain closed in the keel only in a few cases have I 

 found fertilized ovules in such cases." 



According to my observations, which have been made 

 frequently and at all times of the day, only bees bring 

 about pollination, though butterflies enjoy the flowers 

 just as well; but they can not push aside the points on 

 the wings, and it is not necessary, since their m.ore flex- 

 ible proboscis can reach around them to the nectarium." 



"All these arrangements for pollination are not 

 limited to the genus Medicago; besides the small flowered 

 Medicagos, there are numerous Trigonella species, for 

 example Pischerianna, Pinnatifida, Polycerata, etc, while 

 others, for example Corniculata, Calliceras, etc., and 

 Pocockia cretica have a pollination apparatus like that 

 described by Hildebrand for Indigofera." 



Medicago Flowers Tripping Historical Resume' 



(The Fertilization of Flowers by Hermann Muller pars. 

 93 & 94 1873.) 



Muller gives a detailed description of the alfalfa 

 flower and its explosive mechanism. He states that in 

 Medicago s^tiva the elastic tension resides almost ex- 

 clusively in the upper stamens. In Sarotharanus scoparius 

 which also has explosive flowers, it is the style only 

 which acts as a spring; in Genista linctoria the column 

 tends to spring upwards and the alae and carina together 

 tend to spring downwards. 



Muller says : "self fertilization is undoubtedly 

 efficient for Hildebrand has shown that flowers which 

 wither unexploded when insects are excluded produce seed 



(64) 



