Chap. n. 



THE COMMON OXLIP. 



65 



were crossed in the course of four seasons. I may- 

 mention, as a mere curiosity, that if any one were to 

 raise hybrids between two trimorphic heterostyled 

 species, he would have to make 90 distinct unions 

 in order to ascertain their fertility in all ways ; 

 and as he would have to try at least 10 flowers in 

 each case, he would be compelled to fertilise 900 

 flowers and count their seeds. This would probably 

 exhaust the patience of the most patient man. 



Table 14. 

 Crosses inter se between the two forms of the common Oxlip. 



''Illegitimate union. 



Short-styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 short-styled oxlip : 

 20flower8 fertilised, 

 did not produce one 

 capsule. 



Legitimate union, ! Illegiiimate union. 



Short-styled ox- Long -styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of lip, by its own 

 long -styled oxlip : pollen: 24 flowers 

 10 flowers fertilised, fertilised, produced 

 did not produce one five capsules, con- 

 capsule, taining 6, 10, 20, 

 8, and 14 seeds. 

 I Average 11' 6 



Legitimate union. 



Long -styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 short-styled oxlip : 

 1 flowers fertil ised, 

 did not produce one 

 capsule. 



Table 15. 



Botlifwms of the Oxlip crossed with. Pollen of both forms of the 

 Cowslip, P. veris. 



Illegitimate union. 



Short-styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 sh orb - styled cow- 

 slip: 18 flowers fer- 

 tilised, did not pro- 

 duce one capsule. 



Legitimate union. 



Short-styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 long - styled cow- 

 slip : 18 flowers 

 fertilised, produced 

 three capsules, con- 

 taining 7, 3, and 3 

 wretched seeds, ap- 

 parently incapable 

 of germination. 



Illegitimate union. 



Long -styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 long - styled cow- 

 slip : 11 flowers 

 fertilised, produced 

 one capsule, con- 

 taining 13 wretched 

 seeds. 



Legitimate union. 



Long -styled ox- 

 lip, by pollen of 

 short - styled cow- 

 slip : 5 flowers 

 fertilised, produced 

 two capsules, con- 

 taining 21 and 28 

 very fine seeds. 



