Papaver alpinum.--H. Hoffmann ('Speciesfrage' 1875 page 47) states that
this species produced seeds capable of germination only on one occasion.
Corydalis cava (Fumariaceae).--Sterile: see the previous discussion on
self-sterile plants.
Corydalis solida.--I had a single plant in my garden (1863), and saw
many hive-bees sucking the flowers, but not a single seed was produced.
I was much surprised at this fact, as Professor Hildebrand's discovery
that C. cava is sterile with its own pollen had not then been made. He
likewise concludes from the few experiments which he made on the present
species that it is self-sterile. The two foregoing cases are
interesting, because botanists formerly thought (see, for instance,
Lecoq, 'De la Fecondation et de l'Hybridation' 1845 page 61 and Lindley
'Vegetable Kingdom' 1853 page 436) that all the species of the
Fumariaceae were specially adapted for self-fertilisation.
Corydalis lutea.--A covered-up plant produced (1861) exactly half as
many capsules as an exposed plant of the same size growing close
alongside. When humble-bees visit the flowers (and I repeatedly saw them
thus acting) the lower petals suddenly spring downwards and the pistil
upwards; this is due to the elasticity of the parts, which takes effect,
as soon as the coherent edges of the hood are separated by the entrance
of an insect. Unless insects visit the flowers the parts do not move.
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