Hence this plant, in function and partially in structure, was in an
almost exactly intermediate state between the long-styled and short-styled form,
but inclining towards the short-styled; and this accounts for the low average of
seeds which it produced when spontaneously self-fertilised.
The foregoing five plants thus differ much from one another in the nature of
their fertility. In two individuals a great difference in the length of the
pistil during two succeeding years made no difference in the number of seeds
produced. As all five plants possessed the male organs of the short-styled form
in a perfect state, and the female organs of the long-styled form in a more or
less complete state, they spontaneously produced a surprising number of
capsules, which generally contained a large average of remarkably fine seeds.
With ordinary cowslips LEGITIMATELY FERTILISED, I once obtained from plants
cultivated in the greenhouse the high average, from seven capsules, of 58.7
seeds, with a maximum in one capsule of 87 seeds; but from plants grown out of
doors I never obtained a higher average than 41 seeds. Now two of the equal-
styled plants, grown out of doors and spontaneously SELF-FERTILISED, gave
averages of 44 and 45 seeds; but this high fertility may perhaps be in part
attributed to the stigma receiving pollen from the surrounding anthers at
exactly the right period.
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