No. 376.] POLLINATION OF THE CLOSED GENTIAN. 265 
POLLINATION OF THE CLOSED GENTIAN BY 
BUMBLEBEES. 
R. J. WEBB. 
On the morning of Sept. 3, 1897, while walking by a moist spot, 
I came across a fine cluster of the closed gentian (Geztiana andrewsit). 
My attention was also attracted by three or four bumblebees which 
were buzzing among the flowers, and, watching these, I saw that they 
were working upon the blossoms of this plant. 
One of them poised itself above a flower and inserted its proboscis 
in the dimple formed by the overlapping plaits, and by dint of con- 
siderable exertion and wriggling and twisting about, it was able to 
force the corolla open and crawl in until it reached the nectar which 
is found at the base of the tube. It remained thus partly in the 
flower for four or five seconds, then backed out and flew to another 
blossom, This operation was repeated many times, for I watched 
the same bee enter fifteen or twenty flowers, and the others were also 
working away at the same time. They usually crawled in until about 
half inside, and while in this position would often kick and twist 
about. All the insects’ strength was required to force open some of 
the flowers, and the ones which were immature and hence not ready 
for fertilization they were unable to enter at all. 
On October 4 I examined the same patch and found nearly every 
capsule full of perfect seeds. 
This would seem to show that the plant is entomophilous and is 
fertilized by bumblebees, as was believed by Dr. Gray, who once saw 
one of them force its way into the corolla. Dr. Kunze and others 
have regarded this plant as autogamous. 
GARRETTSVILLE, OHIO. 
