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Show 108 PAPAVER VAGUM. CHAP. IV. the shortness of the stamens, unless the flower happens to stand inclined. The present species, therefore, does not seem so well fitted for self-fertilisation as most of the others. N everthelcss P. vayum produced plenty of capsules in my garden when insects were excluded, but only late in the season. I may here add that P. summferum produces an abundance of spontaneously selffertilised capsules, as Professor H. Hoffmann likewise found to be the case.* Some species of Papaver cross freely when growing in the same garden, as I have known to be the case with P. bracteatum and orientale. Plants of Papaver vagum were raised from seeds sent me from Antibes through the kindness of Dr. Bornet. Some little time after the flowers had expanded, several were fertilj sed with their own pollen, and others (not castrated) with pollen from a distinct individual; but I have reason to believe, from observations subsequently made, that these flowers had been already fertilised by their own pollen, as this process seems to take place soon after their expansion.t I raised, however, a few seedlings of both lots, and the self-fertilised rather exceeded the crossed plants in height. Early in the following year I acted differently, and fertilised seven flowers, very soon after their expansion, with pollen from another plant, and obtained six capsules. From counting the seeds in a medium-sized one, I estimated that the average number in each was at least 120. Four out of twelve capsules, spontaneously self-fertilised at the same time, were found to contain no good seeds; and the remaining eight contained on an average 6 · 6 ·seeds per capsule. But it should be observed that later in the season the same plants produced under a net plenty of very fine spontaneously self-fertilised capsules. The above two lots of seeds, after germinating on sand, were planted in pairs on opposite sides of five pots. The two lots of seedlings, when half an inch in height, and again when 6 inches high, were measured to the tips of their leaves, but presented * 'Zur Speciesfrage,' 1875, p. 53. t Mr. J. Scott found ('Report on .the Experimental Culture of the Opium Poppy:' Calcutta, 1874, p. 47), in the rase of Papaver somniferum, that if he cut away the stigmatic surface before the flower had expanded, no seeds were produced; but if this was done "on the second day, or even a few hours after the expansion of the flower on the first day, a partial fertilisation had already been effected, and a few good seeds were almost invariably pro· duced.'' This proves at how early a period fertilisation takes place. CHAP. IV. ESCHSCHOLTZIA CALIFORNICA. 109 no difference. When full Y grown the fi measured to the summits of th d ' ower-stalks were ing result:- e see capsules, with the follow- TABLE XXXIII. Papaver vagum :No. of Pot. Crossed Plants. Self-fertilised Plants. - I. Inches. Inches. 24a 21 30 26~ 183 16 JI. 14~ 22 15~ HJ~ 20k 14~ 21 ~ 16 4 .lj III. 2oH 20~ 19ff 20~ 132 H 18H IV. 25~ 23~ 24a 23 v. 20 27~ 18i 27 19 21# Total in inches. 328•75 293·13 ·- The fifteen crossed plants here a v . fifteen self-fertilised plants 19·54. e~ge.21·9~ Inches, and the 89. These plants did not . ' _Inc es.I~ hmght, or as 100 to judged by the numb f differ In fertility, as far as could be er o capsules p d d seventy-five on the eros d . ro uce ' for there were fertilised side. se Side and seventy-four on the self- . ESCHSCHOLTZIA CALIFORNICA. T~IS plant is remarkable fro th . ceeding in heig·ht 01' v· thm e crossed seedlings not ex-h d Igour e self. fe t 'li d an ' a cross greatly increases the - r ~ se . On the other on the parent-plant and . . d d productiveness of the flowers th at they should , d Is In ee so met·I lles necessary I.n order d . pro uce any seed . enved are themselves much .c ~ moreover, plants thus more lertiie than those raised from |