﻿Unbalanced 
  Crosses 
  259 
  

  

  direction 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  parent 
  are 
  not 
  wanting, 
  

   and 
  in 
  winter 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  the 
  hybrid 
  rosettes 
  

   are 
  often 
  much 
  narrower 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  0. 
  bien- 
  

   nis, 
  and 
  easily 
  distinguishable 
  from 
  both 
  par- 
  

   ents. 
  A 
  third 
  distinction 
  consists 
  in 
  the 
  den- 
  

   sity 
  of 
  the 
  spike. 
  The 
  distance 
  between 
  the 
  in- 
  

   sertion 
  of 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  0. 
  biennis 
  is 
  great 
  when 
  

   compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  0. 
  muricata. 
  Hence 
  the 
  

   flowers 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  species 
  are 
  more 
  crowded 
  

   and 
  those 
  of 
  0. 
  biennis 
  more 
  dispersed, 
  the 
  

   spikes 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  being 
  densely 
  crowned 
  with 
  

   flowers 
  and 
  flower-buds 
  while 
  those 
  of 
  0. 
  biennis 
  

   are 
  more 
  elongated 
  and 
  slender. 
  As 
  a 
  further 
  

   consequence 
  the 
  0. 
  biennis 
  opens 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  

   evening 
  only 
  one, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  flowers 
  on 
  the 
  

   same 
  spike, 
  whereas 
  0. 
  muricata 
  bears 
  often 
  

   eight 
  or 
  ten 
  or 
  more 
  flowers 
  at 
  a 
  time. 
  In 
  this 
  

   respect 
  the 
  hybrid 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  pistil-parent, 
  

   and 
  the 
  crowding 
  of 
  the 
  broad 
  flowers 
  at 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  the 
  spikes 
  causes 
  the 
  hybrids 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  

   more 
  showy 
  than 
  either 
  of 
  the 
  parent 
  types. 
  

  

  Other 
  distinguishing 
  marks 
  are 
  not 
  recorded 
  

   by 
  the 
  systematists, 
  or 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  sharply 
  sepa- 
  

   rated 
  as 
  to 
  allow 
  of 
  the 
  corresponding 
  qualities 
  

   of 
  the 
  hybrids 
  being 
  compared 
  with 
  them. 
  

  

  This 
  hybrid 
  remains 
  true 
  to 
  the 
  description 
  

   given. 
  In 
  some 
  years 
  I 
  cultivated 
  two 
  gener- 
  

  

  