BY THE SELECTION OF SOMATIC VARIATIONS. 53 



at auction (Gard. Chron., 33, 432) for the aggregate sum of 390. 

 One hybrid brought 59 guineas. 



The production of these valuable variegated Coleus varieties stimu- 

 lated further hybridization work. William Bull produced 18 different 

 types (reported by Herincq, 1868), and in November of that year he 

 advertised pedigreed seed from 20 crosses involving 14 varieties grown 

 that year (Advertisement, Gard. Chron., 33, 1232). 



Meanwhile, at the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, a 

 new series of hybrids were produced much finer than those of the 

 previous year. The parentage of these interesting hybrids is not fully 

 given, but it is stated by Moore (1869) that certain of the hybrids of 

 the previous year were crossed with C. blumei itself. In this second 

 lot of hybrids, yellow coloration appeared as a new or spontaneous 

 development. Eight (Gard. Chron., 33, 1210) possessed distinct 

 yellow, forming in some cases a golden margin. Two (Prince Arthur 

 and Princess Beatrice) are described as having a yellowish ground- 

 color or golden green. Most of them had a yellow and green ground- 

 color overlaid with shades of purple or crimson red. The most brilliant 

 of the series was named Queen Victoria, a colored plate of which 

 appeared as a frontispiece in the Florist and Pomologist (volume for 

 1869). This plate shows that the ground-color was mostly yellow, 

 overlaid by an epidermal red, appearing crimson over the yellow and 

 entirely covering the upper surface of the leaves except at the margin. 

 None of the series possessed frilled leaves. The leaves of all were 

 flat, with crenate teeth somewhat deeply cut. 



Although of much more remarkable variegation than the hybrids of 

 the previous year, 9 of these new coleuses brought but 65 guineas. 



While the yellow element in the variegation appeared strongly in this 

 second lot of hybrids, it should be noted that in the year 1867 (Gard. 

 Chron., 33, 460) a golden Coleus arose as a bud-sport from C. blumei. 

 It is described as like C. blumei, but with the green exchanged for a 

 decided yellow tint. The sport appeared in one-half of a single leaf. 

 The bud at its base was propagated and gave the new variety. It 

 does not appear that this sport was used in the hybridization work that 

 produced the golden coleuses. 



During 1868 and 1869, the various horticultural publications men- 

 tion by name no less than 54 new varieties of Coleus. For several 

 years thereafter few varieties were mentioned, but in 1878 (Garten- 

 flora, p. 50) 13 forms not previously mentioned are listed. The next 

 year this journal (pp. 341-346) states that breeding of Coleus had been 

 carried on in Germany, speaks of new forms that arose, and prints an 

 uncolored plate illustrating 4 types. New types were also credited to 

 Bull (Rev. Hort. Belg., 5: 49; Gard. Chron., 45: 748). 



At the exposition in Paris in 1879, Morlet exhibited varieties described 

 by Andre (1879) as far surpassing all previous varieties. These had 



