﻿Origin 
  of 
  Wild 
  Species 
  585 
  

  

  made 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  with 
  other 
  plants 
  by 
  

   different 
  writers. 
  Near 
  Wageningen, 
  in 
  Hol- 
  

   land, 
  I 
  found 
  Stellaria 
  Holostea 
  apetala 
  in 
  the 
  

   year 
  1889, 
  and 
  near 
  Horn 
  in 
  Lippe 
  (Germany) 
  

   Capsella 
  Bursa-pastoris 
  apetala, 
  both 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  

   few 
  specimens 
  on 
  a 
  single 
  spot. 
  Whether 
  these 
  

   were 
  mutations 
  or 
  introductions 
  remains 
  of 
  

   course 
  uncertain. 
  About 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  I 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  near 
  Hilversum 
  in 
  Holland 
  a 
  smooth 
  

   variety 
  of 
  the 
  evening 
  campion, 
  Lychnis 
  vesper- 
  

   Una, 
  forming 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  group 
  of 
  individuals 
  

   in 
  a 
  field, 
  where 
  the 
  hairy 
  type 
  was 
  common. 
  

   It 
  was 
  sown 
  in 
  my 
  garden 
  and 
  proved 
  pure 
  and 
  

   constant, 
  without 
  intermediates. 
  As 
  the 
  local- 
  

   ity 
  had 
  been 
  repeatedly 
  and 
  carefully 
  investi- 
  

   gated 
  by 
  me, 
  I 
  trust 
  to 
  be 
  justified 
  in 
  the 
  asser- 
  

   tion 
  that 
  I 
  gathered 
  the 
  very 
  first 
  individuals 
  of 
  

   the 
  variety. 
  The 
  stock 
  soon 
  was 
  overgrown 
  by 
  

   surrounding 
  shrubs 
  and 
  died 
  out, 
  and 
  now 
  only 
  

   the 
  cultivated 
  offspring 
  are 
  available, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   case 
  of 
  Heeger's 
  shepherd's 
  purse. 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  curious 
  instance 
  of 
  spontaneous 
  muta- 
  

   tions 
  is 
  afforded 
  by 
  a 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  some 
  even- 
  

   ing-primroses 
  and 
  their 
  allies. 
  This 
  peculiarity 
  

   is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  petals 
  remaining 
  minute 
  and 
  

   assuming 
  a 
  linear 
  shape. 
  The 
  character 
  is 
  de- 
  

   veloped 
  as 
  a 
  specific 
  one 
  in 
  Oenothera 
  cruciata. 
  

   This 
  plant 
  owes 
  its 
  name 
  to 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  

   petals, 
  which 
  form 
  a 
  slender 
  cross 
  in 
  the 
  flower, 
  

  

  