Chap. XVII. SELF-IMPOTENT PLANTS. 139 



He was thus led to make an analogous trial on a pure species, namely, on the 

 Hippeastrwn aulicum, which he had lately imported from Brazil : this bulb 

 produced four flowers, three of which were fertilised by their own pollen, 

 and the fourth by the pollen of a triple cross between II. bulbulosum, regince, 

 and vittatum ; the result was, that " the ovaries of the three first flowers 

 " soon ceased to grow, and after a few days perished entirely : whereas the 

 "pod impregnated by the hybrid made vigorous and rapid progress to 

 " maturity, and bore good seed, which vegetated freely." This is, indeed, 

 as Herbert remarks, "a strange truth," but not so strange as it then 

 appeared. 



As a confirmation of these statements, I may add that Mr. M. Mayes, 74 

 after much experience in crossing the species of Amaryllis (Hippeastrum), 

 says, " neither the species nor the hybrids will, we are well aware, produce 

 seed so abundantly from their own pollen as from that of others." So, 

 again, Mr. Bid well, in New South Wales, 75 asserts that Amaryllis belladonna 

 bears many more seeds when fertilised by the pollen of Brunswigia {Ama- 

 ryllis of some authors) Josep?dnoe or of B. multifiora, than when fertilised 

 by its own pollen. Mr. Beaton dusted four flowers of a Cyrtanthus with 

 their own pollen, and four with the pollen of Vallota (Amaryllis) purpurea ; 

 on the seventh day "those which received their own pollen slackened 

 " their growth, and ultimately perished ; those which were crossed with 

 " the Vallota held on." 76 These latter cases, however, relate to uncrossed 

 species, like those before given with respect to Passifiora, Orchids, &c, and 

 are here referred to only because the plants belong to the same group of 

 Amaryllidaceae. 



In the experiments on the hybrid Hippeastrums, if Herbert had found 

 that the pollen of two or three kinds alone had been more efficient on 

 certain kinds than their own pollen, it might have been argued that these, 

 from their mixed parentage, had a closer mutual affinity than the others ; 

 but this explanation is inadmissible, for the trials were made reciprocally 

 backwards and forwards on nine different hybrids ; and a cross, whichever 

 way taken, always proved highly beneficial. I can add a striking and 

 analogous case from experiments made by the Eev. A. Eawson, of Bromley 

 Common, with some complex hybrids of Gladiolus. This skilful horti- 

 culturist possessed a number of French varieties, differing from each other 

 only in the colour and size of the flowers, all descended from Gandavensis, 

 a well-known old hybrid, said to be descended from G. Natalensis by the 

 pollen of G. oppositiflorus. 11 Mr. Eawson, after repeated trials, found 

 that none of the varieties would set seed with their own pollen, although 



74 Loudon's ' Gardener's Magazine,' 77 Mr. D. Beaton, in ' Journal of 

 vol. xi., 1835, p. 260. Hort.,' 1861, p. 453. Lecoq, however 



7 5 'Gardener's Chronicle,' 1850, p. (<De la Fecond./ 1862, p. 369), states 

 470. that this hybrid is descended from 



76 ' Journal Hort. Soc.,' vol. v. p. G. psittacinus and cardinalis ; but this 

 135. The seedlings thus raised were is opposed to Herbert's experience, who 

 given to the Hort. Soc. ; but I find, on found that the former species could not 

 inquiry, that they unfortunately died be crossed. 



the following winter. 



