SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, MARCH 5. 



XXXV 



the growth of Narcissi in gardens. It was the general opinion that 

 Narcissi when allowed to grow untended may become smaller, but 

 never, in spite of a somewhat general opinion to the contrary, revert 

 to the specific type. Sir John Llewelyn showed flowers of wild plants 

 from South Wales, including N. obvallaris and a large, deep-coloured 

 form with something of the coloration of N. 'Golden Spur.' The 

 plants occurring wild in South Wales showed a good many variations 

 in form and colour of flower, but there were two types of foliage only 

 which never seem to intergrade. Canon Fowler wrote that he some- 

 times found forms among such varieties as ' Emperor ' producing finer 

 flowers than the majority, and he believed these variations to be con- 

 stant ; one plant was found among * Weardale Perfection ' last year 

 having two flowers of only a fourth the size of that variety, and some- 

 thing like Johnstonii in form. Mr. Malcolm, of Duns, also alluded to 

 a sport which he had found in his garden. Sporting appears to be 

 rather frequent. Some discussion arose as to varieties that commonly 

 produce seed, and Mr. W^illiams, of Llanarth, said N. cyclamineus 

 reproduced itself by seed quite freely, but seedlings died out rapidly in 

 the grass; Pseudo-narcissus also reproduced itself freely from seed 

 in the grass and reached flowering size. In Mr. Bowles' garden 

 N. pallidus praecox is the most abundant seeder, but the seedlings 

 rarely give the pale form, though they retain the early-flowering habit; 

 Pseudo-narcissus seeds freely, as do triandrus alhus, variiformis, and 

 cyclamineus. Mr. Chittenden said that N. cyclamineus seeded very 

 freely at Wisley, as do N. Bulbocodium and A^. triandrus albus ; other 

 forms rarely produce more than a stray capsule or so. Mr. Shea had 

 only found ' Sir Watkin ' with a seed-pod once, and ' Empress ' rarely 

 seeded, but ' White Wings ' did so frequently with him. Weather 

 conditions appeared to determine to a large extent the amount of seed- 

 ing that occurred, for in 1910 he found only nine varieties produce 

 seed, but in 1911 twenty-one seeded. Possibly bees were required to 

 effect pollination satisfactorily. He said: — "With me, out of nearly 

 300 distinct crosses, ' White Wings ' came out easily on top. Particu- 

 lars as follows : — 



Eesult. 



Pollinated 29/4/11 x * Lulworth ' . 1 pod pollinated. 20 seeds. 

 ,, ,, X ' Scarlet Kunner ' ,, ,, 24 



5/5/11 X 'Virgil' . . „ „ 30 „ 



,, X ' Horace ' . . ,, ,, 32 



Self -pollinated (?) or by insects, 3 pods : 5, 8, and 4 seeds ; together 

 17 seeds. 



" Of course the above specified pollens are very potent, but they were 

 used also with numbers of other varieties without nearly as striking 

 results. On the other point, whether there is really much * self- 

 pollination, ' or whether the large majority of so-called * self-pollina- 

 tions ' are not really the results of insect agency, the following pro- 

 vide material for the latter inference I think: — 



c 2 



