FERTILISATION OF SOME AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 
409 
PROTEAC4LE. 
Stenocarpus saliguus, E. Br. — This flower is proterandrous, the 
anthers opening in the bucl, and the pollen coating the stigma (which is, 
however, not yet functional) thickly. The posterior sepal opens and 
lets the style bend outwards, recalling the G-oodeniacese in that respect. 
Then the other sepals gradually open and curl away. There is a large 
gland at the base of the style which secrets nectar freely, and the 
flower emits a most delicious odour. Insects feeding on the nectar 
rub off the pollen from the stigma, especially from the conical point, 
which is its most active part. The sepals usually fall off before the 
stigma is mature, hut, as the nectar is still secreted and the other flowers 
attract by their scent, these flowers are visited by pollen-bearing 
insects, and so are fertilised. I am at a loss, however, to account for 
the fact that of two trees, equally free flowering, one will produce 
large quantities of fruits, and the other few. 
lelopca speciosissima, E. Br. — The flowers produce very large 
quantities^ of nectar at certain stages, so that, if a head is shaken, a 
shower of drops is thrown off. They are much visited by Acan- 
tliorhynchus and other honey-eating birds, yet they rarely produce 
seed ; but when a plant does, it usually develops a large number. Iu 
one instance I observed a head which was much damaged by some 
larvae, and this head afterwards developed several capsules. 
CAMPANULACE^E. 
WaJilenbergia gracilis , DC.— Mr. E. Haviland (3) has given a 
good account of the fertilisation of this plant. The anthers dehisce 
introrsely in the bud, and in contact with the style, which bears several 
large glands (Fig. 11), secreting some glutinous liquid, causing the 
pollen to coat the outside of the style. The style then rapidly 
lengthens and snaps off the filaments, and the anthers dry up and 
drop out of the flower when it droops at night, or are carried off by 
the wind. The bases of the filaments are broad and cover the top of 
the ovulary, and under these nectar is secreted. Prom these facts 
Haviland concludes that the flower is cross-fertilised by insects. 
1 am able to add to this that the agent is usually a small black bee, 
and these insects not only board at the expense of the plant, but also 
lodge in it at times. 1 have seen as many as six sleeping in one bell 
at night. I should not have referred to this plant at all had I 
not observed that it has two forms of style, a fact I have not 
hitherto seen recorded, although I saw in the herbarium of the 
^ydnev Botanical Gardens specimens of both forms collected by Mr. 
E. Betche. In one the style is short, so that the extreoiity is barely 
level with theinouth of tin; bell before the lobes unfold (Fig. 4), while 
m the other form it is thinner, and projects considerably beyond the 
mouth (Fig. 5). This suggested dimorphism to me, but careful 
observation and experiment failed to show that it had anything to do 
with the fertilisation. It was, however, connected with other variations 
m the plants. Most of the long-styled plants have few and very 
narrow linear stem-leaves, while the short-styled plants have many 
stem-leaves, varying from narrow lanceolate to lanceolate, with 
rounded tips. The long-styled form is deeper, the petals narrower, 
ancl the whole flower usually smaller than in the other. The lobes of 
