Variability in Stellaria Graminea. 81 
producing different kinds of flowers grew at Sandgate, Kent. The 
words in my ‘Manual,’ p. 54, are ‘shorter or longer petals accom¬ 
pany an imperfection of the stamens or germen,’ but the question has 
to he re-examined.” Two forms—hermaphrodite and female—sent 
to shew the dimorphism that exists in this species, are commented 
upon by C. E. Britton 1 in the Report issued by the Botanical 
Exchange Club for 1908. Brief reference to the variability in 
Stellaria graminea is made in the recent Floras of Cornwall 2 and 
Bristol. 3 
Summary. 
My own observations may be summarized as follows:— 
1. Observations made on plants of Stellaria graminea growing 
in a natural Surrey habitat shew that the corollas borne by herma¬ 
phrodite individuals during the flowering period varied in size, 
whereas the corollas produced by male-sterile individuals did not 
vary in this manner. 
2. The corollas formed by hermaphrodite individuals after 
transference to a different and artificial environment diminished in 
size whilst those formed by male-sterile individuals under similar 
conditions exhibited no change. 
3. Individuals of all intermediate grades exist in nature with 
respect to the following characters—long and short petals, wide 
and narrow petal-lobes, long and short stamens and fertile and 
sterile stamens. 
4. Femaleness is usually associated with corollas ranging from 
a small to medium size, never with corollas of the largest size, 
whilst hermaphroditism is usually associated with corollas ranging 
from a medium to a large size. 
5. An intermediate series of individuals exists with flowers 
which possess some stamens resembling those of hermaphrodite 
individuals and others which resemble those of male-sterile indivi¬ 
duals. Individuals of this series possess a corolla of medium size. 
6. From 4 and 5 it is clear that individuals with a corolla of 
medium size may be either hermaphrodite or male sterile or belong 
to the intermediate series. 
Now a reasonable working hypothesis may be advanced to 
explain these phenomena. It is possible to sort out from the 
plexus forms which are definitely male-sterile and hermaphrodite 
1 C. E. Britton. Rept. Bot. Exchange Club (1908), p. 364. 
2 F. Hamilton Davey. Flora of Cornwall (1909), p. 74. 
2 J. W. White. Bristol Flora (1912), p. 193. 
