Yuccas under Cultivation

Abstract

IN NATURE, vol. xxi. p. 315, in the report of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, it is stated that “the yuccas fruit rarely under cultivation, the large white pendulous flowers being in the wild plant fertilised by a moth of the genus Pronuba.” The yucca has been introduced and is very abundant in this colony, especially round Noumea. It fruits freely; in fact I rarely see a plant in which many, if not most, of the flowers do not produce seed-pods. In my own garden they seem to be fertilised by the common bee, of which I have a hive, others being in the neighbourhood. If I remember rightly, Pronuba is a genus of large moths having yellow underwings. We have a species identical with, or closely resembling, an old Ceylon friend, but it is rare; still it does exist here, and may assist in the fertilisation, though I should say, from the number of flowers fertilised, that other agencies preponderate.