In
one instance, however, a single cell of the larger rudimentary anther included a
little pollen. The style consists of a short flattened tube, somewhat expanded
at its upper end, and this forms an open channel leading into the ovarium, as
described under V. canina. It is slightly bent towards the two fertile anthers.
Viola Roxburghiana.
This species bore in my hothouse during two years a multitude of cleistogamic
flowers, which resembled in all respects those of the last species; but no
perfect ones were produced. Mr. Scott informs me that in India it bears perfect
flowers only during the cold season, and that these are quite fertile. During
the hot, and more especially during the rainy season, it bears an abundance of
cleistogamic flowers.
Many other species, besides the five now described, produce cleistogamic
flowers; this is the case, according to D. Muller, Michalet, Von Mohl, and
Hermann Muller, with V. elatior, lancifolia, sylvatica, palustris, mirabilis,
bicolor, ionodium, and biflora. But V. tricolor does not produce them.
Michalet asserts that V. palustris produces near Paris only perfect flowers,
which are quite fertile; but that when the plant grows on mountains cleistogamic
flowers are produced; and so it is with V. biflora. The same author states that
he has seen in the case of V.
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