- K 4 



On the Flowers of Solatium 



[April, 



therefore, a novel apparatus for cross-fertilization, quite distinct 

 from those that have been most commonly noticed. 



A few days after having noticed the peculiarities of Solatium 

 was attracted to the asymmetry of the 

 plant, Cassia chamacrista. Its 

 n early morning, is shown in the 

 figure. The points that are of 

 special interest to us, are the 

 sickle-shaped pistil, the sta- 

 mens with long, rigid anthers, 

 opening by terminal pores, 

 and most of them pointed to- 

 ward the incurved petal, which 

 is always on the opposite side 

 from the pistil, as is shown 

 in the figure. A vertical line 

 let fall across the flower, in its 

 natural position, uniformly 

 falls midway between the two. 

 So we may here speak of the 

 flowers as right-handed or left- 

 handed, as before, according 

 to the position of the pistil. 

 As the inflorescence is less 

 regular than in 5. rostratum, 

 we have been unable to discover any definite law, as in that case, 

 but different plants have about an equal share of right and left- 

 handed flowers. Observations on some plants that were in rather 

 a dilapidated condition, resulted as follows : 



Plant No. i had 6 right-handed flowers and 4 left-handed. 





I found these flowers also visited mainly by a small humble- 

 bee, and judge that they gather pollen in a similar way to that 

 noticed in the Solatium. The flowers are nectarless and odorless. 

 The advantage is not so obvious in this arrangement as in the 

 Solatium, and I have not had opportunity to study it quite as 

 closely and carefully, but I consider the following explanation the 

 most probable. 



