In this last generation short-styled plants appeared for the first time in the course of the six generations,--the parent long-styled plant which was fertilised with pollen from another plant of the same form being counted as the first generation. Their appearance may be attributed to atavism. From two other long-styled plants, fertilised with their own-form pollen, 72 plants were raised, which consisted of 68 long-styled and 4 short-styled. So that altogether 162 plants were raised from illegitimately fertilised long-styled cowslips, and these consisted of 156 long-styled and 6 short-styled plants.
We will now turn to the fertility and powers of growth possessed by the illegitimate plants. From a short-styled plant, fertilised with its own-form pollen, one short-styled and two long-styled plants, and from a long-styled plant similarly fertilised three long-styled plants were at first raised. The fertility of these six illegitimate plants was carefully observed; but I must premise that I cannot give any satisfactory standard of comparison as far as the number of the seeds is concerned; for though I counted the seeds of many legitimate plants fertilised legitimately and illegitimately, the number varied so greatly during successive seasons that no one standard will serve well for illegitimate unions made during different seasons. Moreover the seeds in the same capsule frequently differ so much in size that it is scarcely possible to decide which ought to be counted as good seed. There remains as the best standard of comparison the proportional number of fertilised flowers which produce capsules containing any seed.
First, for the one illegitimate short-styled plant. In the course of three seasons 27 flowers were illegitimately fertilised with pollen from the same plant, and they yielded only a single capsule, which, however, contained a rather large number of seeds for a union of this nature, namely, 23. As a standard of comparison I may state that during the same three seasons 44 flowers borne by legitimate short-styled plants were self-fertilised, and yielded 26 capsules; so that the fact of the 27 flowers on the illegitimate plant having produced only one capsule proves how sterile it was. To show that the conditions of life were favourable, I will add that numerous plants of this and other species of Primula all produced an abundance of capsules whilst growing close by in the same soil with the present and following plants. The sterility of the above illegitimate short-styled plant depended on both the male and female organs being in a deteriorated condition. This was manifestly the case with the pollen; for many of the anthers were shrivelled or contabescent. Nevertheless some of the anthers contained pollen, with which I succeeded in fertilising some flowers on the illegitimate long-styled plants immediately to be described. Four flowers on this same short-styled plant were likewise LEGITIMATELY fertilised with pollen from one of the following long-styled plants; but only one capsule was produced, containing 26 seeds; and this is a very low number for a legitimate union.
With respect to the five illegitimate long-styled plants of the first generation, derived from the above self-fertilised short-styled and long-styled parents, their fertility was observed during the same three years. These five plants, when self-fertilised, differed considerably from one another in their degree of fertility, as was the case with the illegitimate long-styled plants of Lythrum salicaria; and their fertility varied much according to the season. I may premise, as a standard of comparison, that during the same years 56 flowers on legitimate long-styled plants of the same age and grown in the same soil, were fertilised with their own pollen, and yielded 27 capsules; that is, 48 per cent. On one of the five illegitimate long-styled plants 36 flowers were self- fertilised in the course of the three years, but they did not produce a single capsule. Many of the anthers on this plant were contabescent; but some seemed to contain sound pollen.