410 Ever-sporting Varieties 



are broadened and flattened from the very be- 

 ginning, and often retain the incipient breadth 

 throughout their further development. Species 

 of prunroses {Primula japonica and others), of 

 buttercups {Ranunculus hulhosus), the rough 

 hawksbeard {Crepis biennis) ^ the Aster Tripo- 

 lium and many others could be given as in- 

 stances. 



Some of these are so rare as to be considered 

 as poor races, and in cultural trials do not pro- 

 duce the anomaly except in a very few in- 

 stances. Heads of rye are found in a cleft 

 condition from time to time, single at their base 

 and double at the top, but this anomaly is only 

 exceptionally repeated from seed. Flattened 

 stems of Rubia tinctorum are not unfrequently 

 met with on the fields, but they seem to have as 

 little hereditary tendency as the split rye 

 {Secale Cereale). Many other instances could 

 be given. Both in the native localities and in 

 pedigree-cultures such ribboned stems are only 

 seen from time to time, in successive years, in 

 annual and biennial as well as in perennial 

 species. The purple pedicularis {Pedicularis 

 palustris) in the wild state and the sunflower 

 among cultivated plants may be cited instead of 

 giving a long list of analogous instances. 



On the other hand rich races of flattened 

 stems are not entirely wanting. They easily be- 



