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Show 230 ILLEGI'fiMATE OFFSPRING OF CHAP. v. 1nately fertilised with pollen from the same plant, and they yielded only a single capsule, which, however, contained a rather large number of seeds for a union of this nature, namely, 23. As a standard of comparison I 1nay state that during the same three seasons 44 flowers borne by legitimate short-styled plants were ~elf-fertilised, and yielded 26 capsules; so that the fact of the 27 flowers on the illegitimate plant having produced only one capsule proves how sterile it was. To show that the conditions of life were favourable, I will add that numerous plants of this and other species of Primula all produced an abundance of capsules whilst growing close by in the same soil with the present and following plants. The sterility of the above illegitimate short-styled plant depended on both the male and female organs being in a deteriorated condition. This was manifestly the case with the pollen; for many of the anthers were shrivelled or con tabescent. Nevertheless some of the anthers contained pollen, with which I succeeded in fertilising ~orne flowers on the illegitimate long-styled plants i1nmediately to be described. Four flowers on this ~arne short-sty led plant were likewise legitimately fertilised with pollen from one of the following longstyled plants; but only one capsule was produced, containing 26 seeds ; and this is a very low number for a legitimate union. With respect to the five illegitimate long-styled plants of the first generation, derived from the above self-fertilised short-styled and long-styled parents, their fertility was observed during the same three years. These five plants, when self-fertilised, differed considerably from one another in their degree of fertility, as was the case with the illegitimate longstyled plants of Lythrum salicaria; and their fertility CHAP. V. HETEROSTYLED DIMORPHIC PLANTS. 231 varied much according to .the season. I may pren1ise, as a standard of companson, that during the same years 56 flowers on legitimate long-styled plants of the same age and grown in the same soil, were fertilise~ with their own pollen, and yielded 27 capsules ; that Is, 48 per cent. On one of the :five illegitimate long-styled plants 36 flowers were self-fertilised in the. course of the three years, but they did not produce a single capsule. Many of the anthers on this plant were contabescent ; but some seemed to contain sound pollen. Nor were the female oraans quite . b Impotent; for I obtained from a legitimate cross one capsule with good seed. On a second illegiti1nate long-styled plant 44 flowers were fertilised during the same ye~rs with their own pollen, but they produced only ~ Single cap~ule. The third and fourth plants were In a very shght degree more productive. The fifth and last plant was decidedly more fertile; for 42 self-fertilised flowers yielded 11 capsules. Altogether, in the course of the three years, no less than 160 flowers on these five illegitimate long-styled p~ants were fertilised with their own pollen, but they yielded only 22 capsules. According to the standard above given, they ought to have yielded 80 capsules. These 22 capsules contained on an average 15 ·I seeds I. believ~, subject to the doubts before specified, that With legitimate plants the avera()'e number from a . b Union of this nature would have been above 20 seeds. Twenty-four flowers on these same :five illegitimate long-styled plants were legitimately fertilised with pollen from the above-described illegitimate shortstyled plant, and produced only 9 capsules, which is an extremely small number for a legitimate union. These 9 capsules, however, contained an average of 38 apparently good seeds, which is as large a number as |