﻿Mutations 
  in 
  Horticulture 
  625 
  

  

  the 
  origin 
  of 
  a 
  variety 
  has 
  sometimes 
  been 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  as 
  sufficient 
  proof 
  of 
  a 
  sudden 
  origin. 
  

   The 
  best 
  known 
  instance 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  renowned 
  

   cactus-dahlia 
  with 
  its 
  recurved 
  instead 
  of 
  in- 
  

   curved 
  ray-florets. 
  It 
  was 
  introduced 
  from 
  

   Mexico 
  into 
  the 
  Netherlands 
  by 
  Van 
  den 
  Berg 
  of 
  

   Jutphaas, 
  under 
  the 
  following 
  remarkable 
  cir- 
  

   cumstances. 
  In 
  the 
  autumn 
  of 
  1872 
  one 
  of 
  his 
  

   friends 
  had 
  sent 
  him 
  a 
  small 
  case, 
  containing 
  

   seeds, 
  bulbs 
  and 
  roots 
  from 
  Mexico. 
  From 
  

   one 
  of 
  these 
  roots 
  a 
  Dahlia 
  shoot 
  developed. 
  

   It 
  was 
  cultivated 
  with 
  great 
  care 
  and 
  bloomed 
  

   next 
  year. 
  It 
  surprised 
  all 
  who 
  saw 
  it 
  by 
  

   the 
  unexpected 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  its 
  large 
  rich 
  

   crimson 
  flowers, 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  re- 
  

   versed 
  tubular. 
  The 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  narrow 
  

   rays 
  were 
  curved 
  backwards, 
  showing 
  the 
  bright 
  

   color 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  surface. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  very 
  

   showy 
  novelty, 
  rapidly 
  multiplied 
  by 
  cuttings, 
  

   and 
  was 
  soon 
  introduced 
  into 
  commerce. 
  It 
  has 
  

   since 
  been 
  crossed 
  with 
  nearly 
  all 
  other 
  avail- 
  

   able 
  varieties 
  of 
  the 
  Dahlia, 
  giving 
  a 
  large 
  and 
  

   rich 
  group 
  of 
  forms, 
  bound 
  together 
  by 
  the 
  

   curious 
  curling 
  of 
  the 
  petals. 
  It 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  

   observed 
  to 
  grow 
  in 
  Mexico, 
  either 
  wild 
  or 
  in 
  

   gardens, 
  and 
  thus 
  the 
  introduced 
  individual 
  has 
  

   come 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  its 
  race. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  already 
  mentioned 
  that 
  the 
  rapid 
  pro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  new 
  varieties, 
  by 
  

  

  