Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom by Charles Darwin
page 60 of 636 (09%)
page 60 of 636 (09%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
|
Pot 10 : 34 : 82 4/8. Pot 10 : 82 : 36 6/8. Pot 10 : 84 6/8 : 69 4/8. Pot 10 : 71 : 75 2/8. Crowded plants. Total : 2270.25 : 2399.75. The average height of the thirty-one crossed plants is 73.23 inches, and that of the thirty-one self-fertilised plants 77.41 inches; or as 100 to 106. Looking to each pair, it may be seen that only thirteen of the crossed plants, whilst eighteen of the self-fertilised plants exceed their opponents. A record was kept with respect to the plant which flowered first in each pot; and only two of the crossed flowered before one of the self-fertilised in the same pot; whilst eight of the self-fertilised flowered first. It thus appears that the crossed plants are slightly inferior in height and in earliness of flowering to the self-fertilised. But the inferiority in height is so small, namely as 100 to 106, that I should have felt very doubtful on this head, had I not cut down all the plants (except those in the crowded pot Number 10) close to the ground and weighed them. The twenty-seven crossed plants weighed 16 1/2 ounces, and the twenty-seven self-fertilised plants 20 1/2 ounces; and this gives a ratio of 100 to 124. A self-fertilised plant of the same parentage as those in Table 2/12 had been raised in a separate pot for a distinct purpose; and it proved partially sterile, the anthers containing very little pollen. Several flowers on this plant were crossed with the little pollen which could be obtained from the other flowers on the same plant; and other flowers |
|


