False Atavism 203 



of the same species, if cultivated at small dis- 

 tances apart, say 40 - 50 meters or even more. 



Vicinism therefore, may play a part in all 

 such cultures, enough to account for all the 

 impurities observed in the nurseries or in com- 

 mercial seed-samples. 



Of course this whole discussion is limited to 

 such species as are not only as a rule visited by 

 insects, but are dependent on these visits for 

 their fertilization. Most of our garden-flowers 

 are included in this category. If not then we 

 may expect to find the cultures and seeds pure, 

 irrespective of the distances between allied va- 

 rieties, as for instance with peas, which are 

 known to be self-fertilizing. Another instance 

 is given by the barley. One of the most curious 

 anomalous varieties of this cereal, is the 

 *^ Nepaul-barley, " with its small adventitious 

 flowers on the palets or inner scales. It is a 

 very old, widely cultivated sort, which always 

 comes true from seed, and which has been 

 tested in repeated experiments in my garden. 

 The spikelets of this curious plant are one- 

 flowered and provided with two linear glumes 

 or outer scales. Of the inner scales or palets, 

 the outer one is three-lobed at the summit, hence 

 the varietal name of Hordeum vulgare trifiir- 

 catum. The central lobe is oblong and hollow, 

 covering a small supernumerary floret inserted 



