4 MUTATIONS, VARIATIONS, AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE OENOTHERAS. 



appearance of gigas is the most notable, since it has occurred but few times 

 in the last twenty years in pedigree-cultures of O. laniarckiana. 



The remaining four forms among the mutants were represented by one, 

 one, two, and five individuals. Of these, one type with orbicular leaves 

 presented a most striking departure from the parental form, but failed to 

 perfect flowers, so that but little information concerning it was gained. The 

 form in question was reprseented by one individual only, and did not appear 

 in any other culture 



It is to be noted that the seeds used in this culture had been stored for three 

 years. Doubtless the parental type and the derivatives are characterized 

 by varying and different powers of endurance, so that the coefficient of fre- 

 quency of the several forms in question might be expected to be slightly 

 different from that found in freshly harvested seeds. 



C.i. 2. -A lot of purely fertilized seeds derived from one individual, har- 

 vested in the New York Botanical Garden in 1903, was sown in sterilized soil 

 in the greenhouse in August, 1904. In September the plantlets were so far 

 advanced as to admit of recognition of a number of forms, and a number of 

 duplicates of the parental type were discarded. This process was repeated 

 at intervals throughout the winter, and the remaining rosettes were trans- 

 planted to the experimental garden in May, 1905. Seven derivatives were 

 seen, including 33 individuals. Among these, were 2 of scintillans, 3 of albida, 

 1 8 of oblonga, and 2, 2, 3, and 3 of four other unknown types. Some of these 

 unknown types also occurred in other cultures, and 3 of the known and 

 unknown were not duplicated in other progenies. 



The total number of the seedlings included was probably not much above 

 500, and if this were conclusively confirmed it would furnish an illustration of 

 a progeny in which the mutants constituted about 6 per cent of the entire 

 number. Unfortunately some confusion was found in the record. Before 

 this was discovered, the senior author announced that he had succeeded in 

 modifying the coefficient of mutability, but, as is to be seen from the above, 

 the evidence is not conclusive. The large proportion of oblonga is noticeable, 

 and this form constitutes 54 per cent of the total number of the mutants. 



D. i. 7. A lot of purely fertilized seeds taken from one individual, grown 

 in the New York Botanical Garden in 1904, was sown in the garden in August, 

 1904, furnishing a total of 499 plantlets. Development proceeded so rapidly 

 that it was possible to select and discard 244 duplicates of the parental type 

 on December 4, 1904. The remaining ones were transferred to small pots. 

 Forty-three more duplicates were discarded on February 9, 1005, 34 on Feb- 

 ruary 1 8, 40 on March 3, 6 on March 21, 2 on March 24, 3 on March 27, 7 on 

 March 30, and i on April 17. On May 15, 19 mutants and 2 of the parental 

 type were transplanted to the experimental garden. The detail given above 

 illustrates the general procedure in all such cultures. 



