IN JA VA. 



85 



109 were withering with intact anthers, or had lost their pol- 

 len and were nnfertiliaed, 245 had fallen off, six only had 

 prodnced capsules. These are not selected instances, but the 

 resnlt of the PXiUnination of five plants as they occur in my 

 note-book. I have sevend times found in various species of 

 Oalanihej specimens which at first I thought to be chhto- 

 gamoushj lertUised, where the ovules were enlarged in the 

 ovary, and the flowers quite open; but close examination has 

 shown that this is the effect of the irritation of a small species 

 of Hijmenoptera — a cynips probably. 



Mr. Darwiuj in his * Fertilisation of Orchids,' enumerates 

 but four instances of self-fertilisation as comiiig under his 

 observation, namely : in Ophnjs apfera, by the falling forward 

 of its own poUinia, which are then, by the agency of the wind, 

 brought into contact with the stigma — the plant being capable 

 also of cross fertilisation ; in Pei-isttfUs idridis^ which is pos- 

 sible to be sDlf-fertilised by its own pollen from the head of 

 the visiting insect; in Ceflmlanth&ra graruUflora^ which is 

 perpetually self-fertilised by its pollen grains that rest against 

 the upper sharp edge of the stigma thrusting down their 

 pollen tubes intft the ovary ; lastly, Dendrohium ckr^satithumj 

 which may possibly be self-fertilised by its own peculiar acro- 

 batic pollen. In the additional instances here given, some 

 will be found to be singular and different, I believe, from 

 any hitherto recorded.* 



The genus Phajus is an exceedingly handsome and attrae* 

 tive coterie of orcliirls growing in open and sunny places, 

 throwing up from their large broad root leaves, stout erect 

 flower-stalks, one and a-half to two feet in height, crowded 

 with florets. The expanded sepals of Phajus Blumei mea- 

 sure laterally from tip to tip twelve to fourteen centimeti'es. 

 Their external margins are white and interiorly rich chest- 

 nut brown ; the labellum is of a beautiful bright purple 

 magenta colour, margined wiihj^ellowish white* Its fringed 

 mouth forms a broatl landing-stage for passing insects, for 

 whose benefit brightly coloured ritlges point the way in vain 

 to the nectary, as, unfortunately for the visitor, it rarely con- 



* From here to the top of page 96 may be ji>ass?ed over by the genersil 

 rodder Dot interested in tbiB subject made so fascmatiog by the studies of 

 Mr, Diirwiu given in the voluitip referred 10 above. 



