134 Retrograde Varieties 



dant in parks and gardens, little is as yet known 

 concerning the origin of their varietal attributes 

 and their constancy, when propagated by seeds. 

 Besides the ray-florets and the colors, there are 

 of course a great many other characters in 

 which varieties may differ from their species. 

 In most of the cases it is easy to discern 

 whether the new character is a positive or a 

 negative one. And it is not at all necessary to 

 scrutinize very narrowly the list of forms to be- 

 come convinced that the negative form is the 

 one which prevails nearly everywhere, and that 

 positive aberrations are in a general sense so 

 rare that they might even be taken for excep- 

 tions to the rule. 



Many organs and many qualities may be lost 

 in the origination of a variety. In some in- 

 stances the petals may disappear, as in Nigella, 

 or the stamens, as in the Guelder-rose {Vibur- 

 num Opulus) and the Hortensia and in some 

 bulbs even the whole flowers may be wanting, 

 as in the beautiful " Plumosa " form of the 

 cultivated grape-hyacinth or Muscari comosum. 

 Fruits of the pineapples and bananas without 

 seeds are on record as well as some varieties of 

 apples and pears, of raisins and oranges. And 

 some years ago Mr. Riviere of Algeria de- 

 scribed a date growing in his garden that forms 

 fruit without pits. The stoneless plum of Mr. 



