The
details of the experiments may be found under the head of each species.
Secondly, a crossed and a self-fertilised plant of Heartsease (Viola
tricolor) grew near together in the open ground and near to other plants
of heartsease; and as both produced an abundance of very fine capsules,
the flowers on both were certainly cross-fertilised by insects. Seeds
were collected from both plants, and seedlings raised from them. Those
from the crossed plants flowered in all three pots before those from the
self-fertilised plants; and when fully grown the former were to the
latter in height as 100 to 82. As both sets of plants were the product
of cross-fertilisation, the difference in their growth and period of
flowering was clearly due to their parents having been of crossed and
self-fertilised parentage; and it is equally clear that they transmitted
different constitutional powers to their offspring, the grandchildren of
the plants which were originally crossed and self-fertilised.
Thirdly, the Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus) habitually fertilises itself
in this country. As I possessed plants, the parents and grandparents of
which had been artificially crossed and other plants descended from the
same parents which had been self-fertilised for many previous
generations, these two lots of plants were allowed to fertilise
themselves under a net, and their self-fertilised seeds saved.
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