216 THE FLORIST AND 



true normal structure of all flowers) ; and although many other plants, as 

 the Strawberry, are found with imperfect, and even neutral flowers, — every 

 Naturalist and careful observer knows, that there is often an ohvious effort 

 and tendency, in such flowers, to a more complete development : i, e. to be- 

 come perfect and regular. We occasionally see diandrous flowers become 

 didynamous, — and didynamous plants developing regular petandrous flow- 

 ers ; and it is not at all unusual to find the stdminate tassel of the culti- 

 vated Maize (Zea Mays, L. a monoicous plant,) bearing fertile flowers, and 

 exhibiting a very successful attempt at the production of an Ear — or cluster 

 of Ears — of Indian corn. These instances, I trust (for it is needless to ! 

 multiply them,) may suffice to show that there is nothing irrational, nor in- 

 credible, in Mr. Meehan's observations ; and that it is rather strong 

 phraseology, to declare such phenomena to be "utterly impossible.'''' The 

 polemic writers on this Strawberry question, speak of the necessity of stam- 

 inate plants among the pistillate, to produce,- or perfect the fruit No 1 

 doubt, the pistils must be fertilized, in order to produce seeds that will vege- 

 tate. But what do those gentlemen understand, by the "fruit?" Db ! they 

 mean the' little single-seeded akenes or nutlets^ which are sprinkled over the 

 enlarged pulpy receptacle, — or do they refer to the receptacle itself, which 

 in popular parlance is intended by the term "fruit?" If they have refer- 

 ence to the real fruit — -the Hutlets which contain the seed,— there is probaly 

 no question (as already intimated) about the necessity of staminate influence 

 to produce perfect fruit. But I have a suspicion, that by the term "fruit," 

 they mean the delicious receptacle which bears the fruit, and if they mean 

 to allege that the pistils must be fertilized by the stamens, in order to pro- 

 duce that enlargement of the receptacle which affords an esculent substitute 

 for fruit,— then I have only to say, it is a question of fact which I have had 

 no adequate opportunity to determine ; and concerning which I, for one, 

 should be happy to receive reliable information. To ascertain the point 

 satisfactorily, would require very careful experiments and observations. 

 Whether such have been made, I am not informed. I may remark, however, 

 by way of analogy, that there are instances in which pistils, and even recep- 

 tacles, are enlarged, Where no staminate influence has been exerted. The 

 conglomerate coalescent pistils of the Osage Orange [Madura,) for example, 

 attain to their full natural size (although the seeds are necessarily imper- 

 fect,) where no staminate plant is in the neighborhood; and, what affords a 

 closer anology, the including receptacle of the pistillate Fig is fully devel- 

 oped ; : when entirely free from any staminate influence. Whether the re- 

 ceptacle of the Strawberry ever enlarges, without the pistils being fertilized^ 

 (as already stated,) is more than I can tell ; but I feel well assured, that 

 any competent authority, who may furnish the information, will make an 

 acceptable contribution to physiological Botany. w. D. 



West Chester, June 6, 1S53. 





