766 Scott. — On the Flowers of Sparmannia ofricana , 
sepals close too, and the flower shuts for the night (see Fig. 
4 (2), where the flower 2 in Fig. 3 is seen closed and the 
older flower 1 has just been dropped into the vertical position 
preparatory to closing. Also Fig. 6, where flower 3 in Fig. 5 
is closed). 
The first day then the flower is small, has a short style, and 
generally closes about 6 p.m. (see Figs. 25, 53, and 63). 
On the second day the flower begins opening much earlier 
than on the first occasion — 5 a.m. (when sunrise is 6.32 a.m.), 
and opens so rapidly that it is difficult to follow its move- 
ments. The style has grown as long as the stamens, which 
are now very sensitive, and at the slightest touch move rapidly 
away from the stigma. The flower is closed by 9 p.m. (see 
Figs. 54 and 64). 
The third day the flower again opens as before, the stamens 
are still sensitive, but the flower is very late going to sleep. 
At 10.30 p.m. the petals had fallen into the flat open position 
(Fig. 4, 1), at it. 30 one petal was closed, and it was not until 
4.30 a.m. that the flower was completely shut. 
The fourth day the flower is flat open, and again goes to 
sleep late. The fifth day the flower does not open so widely, 
and the stamens are no longer sensitive. At the time when 
the other flowers are shutting for the night, it shuts slightly 
but never reopens. Gradually it closes more and more, and 
during this time it is gradually attaining the vertical position 
(see Fig. 5, Flower 1, which in Fig. 6 has shut and will not 
reopen.) In Fig. 7 it has almost attained the vertical position. 
As the flower withers, if bees have not been plentiful the 
pollen is mechanically extruded from the stamens. This is 
the usual course of a flower’s life, when fertilization has not 
taken place. It varies to a certain extent according to 
weather conditions. For instance, sometimes a flower does 
not reopen in the position of the second day, but at once 
takes up the flat open position of the third day. 
The progress of the flowers from day to day is very difficult to 
watch accurately. The flower of to-day takes up the position 
occupied by yesterday’s flower. This was well brought out 
