94 



A NATURALIST'S WANDERINGS 



probably occur on a second floret of its own species, within a 

 wide area. Flowers with this conformation, however, remain 

 expanded and fresh for several days, in marked contrast to 

 those of the first form, which close up in a very few hours. 



In the median line of the upper surface of the rostellum 

 there is a well-marked ridge (Fig. 22) which runs out to the tip 

 to form the central promontory of the rostellum. In describing 

 Phajus Blumei I remarked that there existed on the back of the 

 stigma a prominent ridge running down nearly to the ovary. 

 Now if we were to suppose the ridged rostellum of Arundina 

 to become adherent to the back of the stigma instead of 

 hanging down free, we should have such a ridge as is seen in 



FIG. 25. 



FIG. 25. — CHRT30GL0SSUM SP. THE FIG. 05J THE LEFT KEPRESENTS TWO FLORETS 

 ON FLOWER STEM ; THAT ON THE RIGHT ONE CLEISTOGAMOUSLY FERTILISED. 



Phajus ; so that it is probable that the ridge in the latter 

 plant may be the remnant of its rostellum adherent to the 

 back of the stigma. 



Abundant on trees at 2000 feet above the sea, I gathered the 

 dull-flowered Eria albido-tonientosa, remarkable for having its 

 perianth densely covered with a felty mass of white wool. Its 

 anther is separated by a rim-like rostellum from the broad and 

 rather shallow stigma. Out of sixty flowers which I examined at 

 various times, I did not find one otherwise than self-fertilised 

 while still in the bud, by the viscid matter of the stigma swelling 



