With Eschscholtzia,
however, he found that pollen from other flowers on the same plant was a
little more effective than pollen from the same flower. So did
Hildebrand in Germany; as thirteen out of fourteen flowers of
Eschscholtzia thus fertilised set capsules, these containing on an
average 9.5 seeds; whereas only fourteen flowers out of twenty-one
fertilised with their own pollen set capsules, these containing on an
average 9.0 seeds. (9/11. 'Pringsheim's Jahrbuch fur wiss. Botanik' 7
page 467.) Hildebrand found a trace of a similar difference with
Corydalis cava, as did Fritz Muller with an Oncidium. (9/12. 'Variation
under Domestication' chapter 17 2nd edition volume 2 pages 113-115.)
In considering the several cases above given of complete or almost
complete self-sterility, we are first struck with their wide
distribution throughout the vegetable kingdom. Their number is not at
present large, for they can be discovered only by protecting plants from
insects and then fertilising them with pollen from another plant of the
same species and with their own pollen; and the latter must be proved to
be in an efficient state by other trials. Unless all this be done, it is
impossible to know whether their self-sterility may not be due to the
male or female reproductive organs, or to both, having been affected by
changed conditions of life. As in the course of my experiments I have
found three new cases, and as Fritz Muller has observed indications of
several others, it is probable that they will hereafter be proved to be
far from rare.
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