16 
N. C. Agricultural Experiment Station 
then it becomes a vital factor in fruit production. This numerical 
increase in number of petals has developed to an unusual and to a very 
marked degree in the case of the variety Manatee. 
Each of the plants of this variety was examined as to petalization, and 
each was found to produce blooms with both a normal and an abnormal 
number of petals. As the normal number of petals for the genus Rubus 
is five, any flower with more petals was considered petaliferous. The 
actual number of petals ranged all the way from five to twelve and 
fifteen. This condition of petalody is not peculiar to the variety Man¬ 
atee, except in degree. Many other varieties are more or less affected, 
and notable among these are Chestnut and Elijah No. 2. Some of the 
flowers of Manatee are often so double as to resemble a small pink rose. 
In some years this abnormal condition of the bloom is much more pro¬ 
nounced than in others. 
When many flowers of Manatee are bagged and allowed to be self- 
pollinated, we observe that frequently among them some will develop and 
bring to maturity a small number of druplets. This phenomenon has 
been observed in such other varieties as Chestnut, Grandee, Haupt, 
Rogers, and to a very limited extent in San Jacinto and in White. 
When Manatee is cross-pollinated with other varieties of dewberries, 
fruits will develop, but the berries are very rarely perfect and well 
formed. 
The reason that these berries seldom develop normally may be at¬ 
tributed to climatic or to soil conditions, for in Florida, w T here Manatee 
originated, the vines are said to produce an abundance of well formed 
fruits. 
In order to ascertain whether Manatee is sterile because the extra 
number of petals really hindered pollen from reaching the stigmas of 
the pistils, five flower buds were bagged and pollen from Manatee flow¬ 
ers was artificially applied. Later, upon examination of these inclosed 
flowers, it was discovered that no fruits had set. The complete record 
of results follows: 
Table No. 5 
Number of Bags 
Number of 
Flowers 
Number of 
Perfect Fruits 
Number of 
Nubbins 
Number 
Sterile 
No. 1_ 
1 
0 
0 
1 
No. 2 _ 
1 
0 
0 
1 
No. 3_ 
1 
o 
0 
1 
No. 4_ _ ___ 
1 
0 
o 
1 
No. 5_ __ 
1 
0 
0 
1 
The results in the above table indicate that the excessive number of 
petals in the dewberry flowers does not necessarily constitute a mechani¬ 
cal obstruction to the process of pollination, but that Manatee is self- 
