August, 1909.] 



143 



Miscellaneous Pests, 



remain closed, when all that is required 

 for the release of the adherent apices of 

 the lobes is a gentle tap. Such a tap is 

 provided by the fertilising ageut, a bird 

 (a species of Nectarinia) ; and I would 

 suggest that this remaining closed of the 

 ripe flowers is an instance of close rela- 

 tionship, beneficial to both " parties," 

 between flower and fertilizer ; the bird 

 knows it is worth its while to " tap a 

 new barrel " as it Were ; moreover, ^ the 

 parts of the flower are protected from 

 the damaging effects of exposure to 

 wet. 



Such exploding flowers are by no 

 means confined to this species (L. loni- 

 cerotdes), but in a more or less degree 

 characterize the Cingalese large-flower- 

 ed Loranths. 



Whether opening of ripe flower-buds 

 without a tapping on the apex occurs, 

 I cannot assert ; although various obser- 

 vations seem to show that, at all events, 

 many buds, unless tapped, remain closed. 



Thus unopened corollas which have 

 become detached at the base of the tube, 

 and slipped down the style, are com- 

 monly to be seen hanging on this persis- 

 tent style. In such cases there is some 

 chance of self-fertilization, as has been 

 suggested for other genera. The inac- 

 cessibility of the flowers rendered experi- 

 ment difficult ; but the following was 

 tried, with a view to determining the 

 question of the opening or non-opening 

 of the untouched flower-bud. Twelve 

 apparently fully-developed flower-buds 

 of L. loniceroides (on a Peach tree) were 

 covered by fine muslin. At the end of 

 three weeks the results were :— 



Unopened. Opened Unopened and Opened and 

 dropped. dropped, 

 4 2 4 2 



so that, though the numbers are too 

 small to admit of generalizing, it may 

 be pointed out that two-thirds of the 

 flower-buds did not open — and that the 

 sources of error, such as rubbing against 

 the netting, all favour of the opening 

 of the buds. 



The first day on which explosions were 

 observed by me was bright and sunny, 

 and it was subsequently noted that the 

 explosions occurred with greater readi- 

 ness on such occasions than on days 

 when rain was falling. When a host- 

 branch was cut down, the flower-buds 

 on the Loranthus bush borne by it soon — 

 in the course of less than one hour — lost 

 their power of opening, even in response 

 to a smart tap. 



Iu addition to the "use" suggested 

 above for this prolonged flower-bud 

 state— viz., in procuring a closer relation 



between flower and fertilizer— another 

 advantage, the protection of the pollen 

 from rain, may be urged. 



It might be supposed that in tropical 

 flowers there is no need for protection 

 against damp or rain effects, but the 

 Loranthacece of Ceylon, probably for a 

 reason to be referred to immediately, 

 flower very largely in the wet season, 

 and of the fifteen Cinhalese species five 

 are, according to Trimeu, confiued to the 

 moist low country (L. nodiflorus, L. ensi- 

 folius, L. lonchiphyllus, L. Gardneri, 

 and L. capitellatus). 



Many of the Cingalese species flower 

 all the year round, and when I mention 

 that eight species which do so grow in 

 the hills, and that of these hills Blanford 

 states "the only season that can be 

 called fine is restricted to the first 4 or 

 \\ months of the year, and even in 

 these it rains on one day in 3 or 4," it 

 will, I think, be conceded that a pro- 

 tection of pollen against rain is by no 

 means unnecessary. 



Roxburgh, in his ' Flora Indica,' and 

 Kurz, in 'Forest Flora of British Bur- 

 mah,' both distinctly mention, in des- 

 cribing various spacies, that some, e.g., 

 Loranthus scurrula, flower during the 

 wet season, and that others flower all 

 the year round. 



Hence I conclude that this "exploding 

 mechanism" has the highly important 

 function of protecting the pollen from 

 rain, and that an additional advantage 

 is gained iu that a more specialized rela- 

 tion between bird and flower is enforced. 



The "reason" why flowering occurs 

 during the wet months lies probably in 

 the fact that the seeds will only ger- 

 minate in moist air ; at all events I 

 have found that in moist air the hypo- 

 cotyls reach their host-branch in a few 

 days, whereas in dry air two weeks are 

 often insufficient. Hence it may be that 

 many Loranthus species have acquired 

 the habit of flowering iu the wet season 

 in ordei that their seeds may germi- 

 nate rapidly, and on this view the 

 special pollen protection is of no little 

 interest. 



Mode op Distribution of the Seeds. 

 The berry-like fruits of these Loranthus 

 are, technically speaking, indehiscent ; 

 yet, owing partly to growth of the 

 embryo, partly to the weakening of the 

 fruit-wall, in some species, this latter 

 becomes ruptured on the ripening of the 

 fruits, e.g., Loranthus neelgherrensis, 

 L- cuneatus; in others a very slight 

 pressure is sufficient to cause the com- 

 plete extrusion of the seed, sometimes 

 basally, sometimes apically. In most 



