THE RED SUNFLOWER 55 



The red color was the same anthocyanin as occurs in the 

 disk of these sunflowers, only greatly increased in 

 amount and extending over the rays. The coloring 

 matter was really pink, but the effect on an orange 

 background was chestnut. It was an astonishing thing 

 to see a style of coloration entirely new to Helianthus, 

 though well known in some allied plants, and due not 

 to any new substance, but to an increase of one com- 

 mon in sunflowers. Thus does Nature produce novel- 

 ties, by taking advantage of what exists. Man, noting 

 the process, may in certain respects follow her example. 

 If he cannot produce variations, he can at least often 

 combine them, and the combinations will be in every 

 practical sense new forms. 



7. The Boulder variety with reddened rays existed Red sun- 

 in 1910 as a single plant. Since sunflowers are sterile J t Jodd > "r 

 with their own pollen, it could be propagated only by Colorado 

 crossing with orange-rayed forms. Would the red ap- 

 pear in the offspring, would it be dominant or recessive ? 

 When the following summer came, and a garden full of 

 sunflowers burst into bloom, about half showed the red 

 color. It is probable that this may be explained as 

 follows : The original plant was of course the result of 

 the combination of two gametes or germ cells, derived 

 from its parents. The change in the germ plasm which 

 gave rise to the red variety probably took place during 

 the formation of one of these gametes. Thus, al- 

 though there may have been no "red" parent, the plant 

 was a cross between a "red" and a "no-red" gamete. 

 These diverse gametes united to form a zygote, or ferti- 

 lized cell, from which a plant developed. Red being 

 dominant, the result was red ; but the plant would 

 produce two kinds of gametes, "red" and "no-red." 

 In the new crosses, the other parent was always orange- 



