THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 165 



red and has been greatly mixed by crossing. In experiments 

 witli this plant it has been found that when two pale forms are 

 crossed, a red-flowered form is produced. This is explained 

 by the theory that one plant has the material for making red 

 flowers and the other has the determiner that causes the color 

 to develop. In the plant under discussion it may be that the 

 pale form is developing its own determiner. Its subsequent 

 career will be watched with interest. The specimen mentioned 

 is nine years old, at present, and has had an interesting his- 

 tory. One year it was overlooked entirely and did not get 

 back into tlie ground for eighteen months. During this time 

 it had neither water nor soil. This might warrant one in 

 suggesting that though it has been alive nine years it might 

 with some reason lay claim to being only eight years old. The 

 past summer it produced more than ten thousand flowers ! 



The Largkst — It is human nature to delight in mere 

 size. At tlie country fair the prizes usually go to the largest 

 and we commonly speak of the size of our home town before 

 dilating on its intelligent citizenry. The largest plants and 

 plant parts, therefore naturally are of interest. The largest 

 flower in the world is the Rafflcsia, some specimens of which 

 measure more than a yard across. The largest flower-stalk 

 is said to be that of Furcroya gigantca from 'which Mauritius 

 hemp is obtained. It often reaches forty feet or more in 

 height Credit for the largest inflorescense probably belongs 

 to this plant also, unless some species of Agave can muster 

 more flowers to a stalk. The largest leaf is that of Victoria 

 rcgia, the giant water lily of the Amazon, which often mea- 

 sures twelve feet across. The largest seed is the double co- 

 count which weighs tliirty pounds or more, but the largest 

 fruit is undoubtedly the prize pumpkin, cynosure of everybody 

 at the country fair. The largest herb is the banana and the 



