﻿Systematic 
  Atavism 
  655 
  

  

  The 
  foliage 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  so 
  distinct 
  as 
  to 
  yield 
  

   botanical 
  characters 
  of 
  sufficient 
  importance 
  to 
  

   justify 
  this 
  specific 
  designation. 
  The 
  leaflets 
  

   are 
  reduced 
  in 
  numbers 
  and 
  greatly 
  modi- 
  

   fied, 
  and 
  the 
  flowers 
  in 
  the 
  inflorescence 
  are 
  re- 
  

   duced 
  to 
  two 
  or 
  three. 
  This 
  curious 
  race 
  came 
  

   in 
  suddenly, 
  without 
  any 
  premonition, 
  and 
  the 
  

   locality 
  and 
  date 
  of 
  its 
  mutation 
  are 
  still 
  on 
  

   record. 
  Until 
  some 
  years 
  ago 
  it 
  had 
  not 
  made 
  

   its 
  appearance 
  for 
  a 
  second 
  time. 
  Obviously 
  it 
  

   is 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  a 
  reversionary 
  form. 
  

   The 
  limp 
  stems 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  tomatoes 
  are 
  in 
  

   all 
  respects 
  indicative 
  of 
  the 
  cultivated 
  condi- 
  

   tion. 
  They 
  cannot 
  hold 
  themselves 
  erect, 
  but 
  

   must 
  be 
  tied 
  up 
  to 
  supports. 
  The 
  color 
  of 
  

   the 
  leaves 
  is 
  a 
  paler 
  green 
  than 
  should 
  be 
  ex- 
  

   pected 
  from 
  a 
  wild 
  plant. 
  Considering 
  other 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Solanum, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   Lycopersicum 
  is 
  a 
  subdivision, 
  the 
  stems 
  are 
  as 
  

   a 
  rule 
  erect 
  and 
  self-supporting, 
  with 
  some 
  few 
  

   exceptions. 
  These, 
  however, 
  are 
  special 
  adapta- 
  

   tions 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  winding 
  stems 
  of 
  the 
  

   bitter-sweet. 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  discussion 
  we 
  seem 
  justified 
  in 
  con- 
  

   cluding 
  that 
  the 
  original 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  up- 
  

   right 
  type 
  was 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  systematic 
  

   atavism. 
  It 
  differs 
  however, 
  from 
  the 
  already 
  

   detailed 
  cases 
  in 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  monstrosity, 
  nor 
  

   an 
  ever-sporting 
  race, 
  but 
  is 
  as 
  constant 
  a 
  form 
  

  

  