The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable KingdomDarwin, Charles
Science
The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom
Darwin, Charles
Fertilization of plants; Plants -- Variation; Pollination
TABLE 4/37. Reseda odorata (seedlings from a highly self-fertile plant).
Heights of plants to the summits of the leafy stems, flower-stems not
included, measured in inches.
Column 1: Number (Name) of Pot.
Column 2: Crossed Plants.
Column 3: Self-fertilised Plants.
Pot 1 : 20 7/8 : 22 4/8.
Pot 1 : 34 7/8 : 28 5/8.
Pot 1 : 26 6/8 : 23 2/8.
Pot 1 : 32 6/8 : 30 4/8.
Pot 2 : 34 3/8 : 28 5/8.
Pot 2 : 34 5/8 : 30 5/8.
Pot 2 : 11 6/8 : 23.
Pot 2 : 33 3/8 : 30 1/8.
Pot 3 : 17 7/8 : 4 4/8.
Pot 3 : 27 : 25.
Pot 3 : 30 1/8 : 26 3/8.
Pot 3 : 30 2/8 : 25 1/8.
Pot 4 : 21 5/8 : 22 6/8.
Pot 4 : 28 : 25 4/8.
Pot 4 : 32 5/8 : 15 1/8.
Pot 4 : 32 3/8 : 24 6/8.
Pot 5 : 21 : 11 6/8.
Pot 5 : 25 2/8 : 19 7/8.
Pot 5 : 26 6/8 : 10 4/8.
Total : 522.25 : 428.50.
The average height of the nineteen crossed plants is here 27.48, and
that of the nineteen self-fertilised 22.55 inches; or as 100 to 82. All
these plants were cut down in the early autumn and weighed: the crossed
weighed 11.5 ounces, and the self-fertilised 7.75 ounces, or as 100 to
67. These two lots having been left freely exposed to the visits of
insects, did not present any difference to the eye in the number of
seed-capsules which they produced.
The remainder of the same two lots of seeds were sown in two adjoining
rows in the open ground; so that the plants were exposed to only
moderate competition. The eight tallest on each side were measured, as
shown in Table 4/38.
TABLE 4/38. Reseda odorata, growing in the open ground.
Heights of plants measured in inches.
Column 1: Crossed Plants.
Column 2: Self-fertilised Plants.
24 4/8 : 26 5/8.
27 2/8 : 25 7/8.
24 : 25.
26 6/8 : 28 3/8.
25 : 29 7/8.
26 2/8 : 25 7/8.
27 2/8 : 26 7/8.
25 1/8 : 28 2/8.
Total : 206.13 : 216.75
The average height of the eight crossed plants is 25.76, and that of the
eight self-fertilised 27.09; or as 100 to 105.
We here have the anomalous result of the self-fertilised plants being a
little taller than the crossed; of which fact I can offer no
explanation. It is of course possible, but not probable, that the labels
may have been interchanged by accident.
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