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Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

"The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species"

Twelve flowers were artificially and legitimately
fertilised with pollen from a legitimate long-styled plant, and yielded from
nine capsules an average of 116.1 seeds, which were finer than in the previous
case, with a maximum of 135 and a minimum of 75; so that, as with Plant 17,
pollen from a legitimate plant increased the fertility, but did not bring it up
to the full standard.
PLANT 19.
This mid-styled plant, fertilised in the same manner and at the same period as
the last, yielded an average from ten capsules of 73.4 seeds, with a maximum of
87 and a minimum of 64: hence this plant produced only 56 per cent of the full
number of seeds. Thirteen flowers were artificially and legitimately fertilised
with pollen from a legitimate long-styled plant, and yielded ten capsules with
an average of 95.6 seeds; so that the application of pollen from a legitimate
plant added, as in the two previous cases, to the fertility, but did not bring
it up to the proper standard.
PLANT 20.
This long-styled plant, of the same parentage with the two last mid-styled
plants, and freely fertilised in the same manner, yielded an average from ten
capsules of 69.6 seeds, with a maximum of 83 and a minimum of 52: hence this
plant produced 75 per cent of the full number of seeds.]
CLASS 5. ILLEGITIMATE PLANTS RAISED FROM A SHORT-STYLED PARENT FERTILISED WITH
POLLEN FROM THE MID-LENGTH STAMENS OF THE LONG-STYLED FORM.


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