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Arachis hypogaea circumnutation of gynophore

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37

Introduction

a distinct plant. I have said no great that the danger, is not great, because I have often found that plants which are self-sterile, unless aided by insects, remained sterile when several plants of the same species were placed together under the same net. If, however, the flowers which had been were self-fertilised by me were in any case afterwards crossed by Thrips with pollen brought from a distinct plant, crossed seedlings would have been included amongst the self-fertilised; but it should be especially observed that this occurrence would tend to diminish and not to increase any superiority in average height, fertility, &c, of the crossed over the self-fertilised plants.

As the flowers which were crossed were never castrated, it is probable or even almost certain that I sometimes failed to cross-fertilise them effectually, and that they were afterwards spontaneously self-fertilised. This would have been most likely to occur with dichogamous species, in which