The Origin of Striped Flowers. 
119 
number of generations that the striping appears. It af- 
fects almost necessarily, so it seems, every cultivated 
white or yellow variety. Some are worth putting on the 
market ; others are not. Amongst the latter VILMORIN 
( 1852) has mentioned as an example Clarkia pnlchella, 
from bought seeds of the white variety of which the 
striped form has also appeared in my cultures (see 16). 
The same thing happened with Browallia erecta and Coiu- 
melina tuberosa. Geranium pratense is only to be bought 
in two forms, white and blue. I ob- 
tained seeds from two plants which 
were bought as Var. alba and raised 
from them, besides pure whites, 
plants with all grades of color ar- 
rangement from striping and secto- 
rial variations to complete blue (Fig. 
21). 
If it is thought desirable to put 
the striped variety on the market it 
must be purified by selection. The 
striping first appears as single fine 
i -in TC Fig- 21. Geranium fira- 
streaks on occasional flowers. It tc ,i sc cl!bum with pie _ 
these plants are isolated and their 
seeds sown separately the majority 
of the plants raised are pure white, 
but occasional ones are produced 
with broader and more numerous stripes. The seeds of 
these are saved, and so on. The object is to isolate the 
striped race from the white, and this can be attained in 
the course of a few years. On the other hand the breeder 
has to fight against the tendency of the striped form to 
return to the full blue either by buds or through seeds. 
It is to guard against this that VILMORIN recommends 
bald bine and white 
flowers. The dark 
parts of the petals 
were blue ; the others 
white. 
