12 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Fig. 11. Early in the Morning. 



Fig. 12. The next Morning. 



longer than the perianth and its stigma is not receptive for pollen. 

 By the next morning, however, the style has reached the stamen in 

 length, though it is still rmreceptive. After two days, the stamens have 

 shriveled and drawn out of the way and the stigmatic lines have become 

 fleecy and moist, indicating receptivity. Though scentless, and 

 greenish white, rather than brightly colored, the flowers secrete an 

 abundance of nectar which with the proterandry points to cross polli- 

 nation by the aid of insects. 



When Arthur Schott collected the type specimens of Agave parvi- 

 flora it was in fruit, though the upper part of some of the specimens 

 still retained a few unopened buds, and a few sterile, dried-up flowers 

 were included in the collection. My own observation of the plant in 

 the field was also made during its fruiting season and I am not aware 

 that its fresh flowers have ever been seen except on this specimen. The 

 main structural characters of the flowers were accurately made out by 

 Engelmann and are preserved in his perfectly prepared dissections, but 

 the contribution which this little specimen has made to a correct under- 

 standing of their shape and proportions is clearly shown by a compari- 

 son of these type flowers with its own. 



Almost if not quite as small as Agave parviflora are two other 

 species in many respects closely similar to it: a little plant found in 

 northern Mexico on the Lumholtz expedition, which Mr. Watson 

 named, after its discoverer, Agave Hartmani, and an unnamed plant 

 of similar habit but with a short perianth tube equalled in length by 

 the perianth lobes, which Professor Tourney found eighteen years ago 



