The Pollination of Toadflax

Abstract

Linaria spuria, Miller, is a not uncommon weed of cornfields on calcareous soils in the Midlands and south of England, in western, central, and southern Europe, in, northern Africa, and in western Asia, and it occurs adventitiously in North America. I have never observed insects pollinating the flower. The corolla is closed, and probably small insects are unable to effect an entry; there are no “nectar-guides” the four anthers are adherent, mature simultaneously with the stigma, and dehisce internally. It would seem, therefore, as Kunth (“Handbook of Flower Pollination,” English translation by Ainsworth Davis, vol. iii., p. 177) states, that “automatic self-pollination is inevitable.” I fear “S. P.” will regard this answer to his question as analogous with the dictum: “There are no snakes in Iceland!”