1880, ] Botany. 201 
Tue AceEncy OF Insects IN FERTILIZATION! —I present some 
additional notes taken from papers prepared by some of my young 
students while working under my direction. 
Mr. A. J. Chappell studied a healthy plant of Zythrum salicaria. 
The flowers of the species are trimorphous. e plant studied 
was one which produced short stamens and those of medium 
length and a long style. In the béd, these organs are bent or 
curved so that the anthers and stigmas are included within the 
calyx. The anthers all ripen at about the same time, sometimes 
before the flower opens. 
_ Bees visit the piant freely. Their heads are covered with pol- 
len from the stamens; the thorax with pollen from the stamens 
of medium length. 
Some of the pollen thus collected on the insect is carried to the 
long pistils. Pollen was found on all the stigmas, but Mr. Chap- 
pell: observed zvat after a few days each pistil in turn after the 
flower had opened, wilted and fell off. 
Mr. E. A. Murphy found several kinds of insects about the Ly- 
thrum above mentioned. He was also surprised to see all the pistils, 
after they had been exposed for a few days, wilt and fall off. The 
plant was making a fair growth, and did not suffer from dry 
weather or a surplus of moisture. sly 
Mr. J.T. Elliott studied Apocynum androsemifolium. The anthers 
are shaped somewhat like an arrow-point. All the anthers form 
a sort of pyramid about the pistils. An abundance of honey 
attracts many insects. The groove between the lobes of the an- 
thers often catch and hold small bees by the tongue, much as 
a tapering crack between two boards would hold a rope. Small 
wild bees pull out the masses of pollen which come in pairs. 
ome flowers were tied up to keep all insects away. In some 
cases after a few days, the bell-shaped corolla was full and over- 
flowing with nectar. These were artificially fertilized, some with 
pollen of the same flower; others with pollen from other flowers. 
Some were kept covered without artificial aid in transferring pol- 
len. All were covered again. Those pistils where the stigmas 
were supplied with pollen set fruit. ao 
e . A. Burgess tried similar experiments with similar re- 
Suits, Ee 
Mr. J. H. Irish observed the flowers of catmint. When the 
anthers are discharging their pollen, they are clustered around | 
_ and a little above the pistil. When the pistil is ready to secure the 
_ Pollen, it reaches above the stamens and spreads its stigmas apart. 
At this time the anthers are dead and slightly curled down, The 
stigmas are just in position to touch the back of an insect where 
it has previously collected pollen from anthers of a younger flower. 
! Notes f i ichigan Agricultural College. Ab- 
= o Wi te a o4 
