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Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882

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

For instance, thirty-
four capsules produced by the illegitimate grandchildren of a long-styled plant,
spontaneously self-fertilised, contained on an average only 9.1 seeds, with a
maximum of 46. Some seeds indiscriminately saved from the foregoing twenty-nine
equal-styled and long-styled plants produced sixteen seedlings, grandchildren of
the original plant belonging to Mr. Duck; and these consisted of fourteen equal-
styled and two long-styled plants; and I mention this fact as an additional
instance of the transmission of the equal-styled variety.
The third lot in Table 5.31, namely the Baston plants, are the last which need
be mentioned. The long and short-styled plants, and the fifteen equal-styled
plants, were descended from two distinct stocks. The latter were derived from a
single plant, which the gardener is positive was not long-styled; hence,
probably, it was equal-styled. In all these fifteen plants the anthers,
occupying the same position as in the long-styled form, closely surrounded the
stigma, which in one instance alone was slightly elongated. Notwithstanding this
position of the stigma, the flowers, as the gardener assured me, did not yield
many seeds; and this difference from the foregoing cases may perhaps have been
caused by the pollen being bad, as in some of the Southampton equal-styled
plants.


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