586 Mutations 



instead of displaying a bright yellow cup. 

 0. cruciata grows in the Adirondack Mountains, 

 in the states of New York and Vermont, and 

 seems to be abundant there. It has been intro- 

 duced into botanical gardens and yielded a num- 

 ber of hybrids, especially with 0. biennis and 0. 

 lamarckiana, and the narrow petals of the 

 parent-species may be met with in combination 

 with the stature and vegetative characteristics 

 of these last named species. 0. cruciata has a 

 purple foliage, while biennis and lamarchiana 

 are green, and many of the hybrids may in- 

 stantly be recognized by their purple color. 



The curious attribute of the petals is not to be 

 considered simply as a reduction in size. On 

 anatomical inquiry it has been found that these 

 narrow petals bear some characteristics which, 

 on the normal plants, are limited to the calyx. 

 Stomata and hairs, and the whole structure of 

 the surface and inner tissues on some parts of 

 these petals are exactly similar to those of the 

 calyx, while on others they have retained the 

 characteristics of petals. Sometimes there 

 may even be seen by the naked eye green longi- 

 tudinal stripes of calyx-like structure alter- 

 nating with bright yellow petaloid parts. For 

 these reasons the cruciata character may be con- 

 sidered as a case of sepalody of the petals, or of 

 the petals being partly converted into sepals. 



