An Horticultural Marvel Flowers Directly 

 from the Seed 



H. Hehre. 



About a year ago, at my nursery and propagating grounds 

 in Los Angeles, I planted some seeds of "Brownea hybrida," a 

 beautiful flowering tr f India. Six or seven months there- 

 after, six of these seeds sprouted, and five of them grew into 

 little trees with light green leaves; bu1 the sixth plant devel- 

 oped, immediately from the seed, into a cluster of flowers; one 

 Opening first and three subsequently, all on a 2 1 -. inch (lower 

 stem. The (lowers were 1 i ■_. inch long and an inch wide, some- 

 what in shape like a Crocus, hut more slender. There were 5 

 petals which were ral at the base, gradually shading to yel- 

 low, and the 12 stamens were yellow. The anthers were golden 

 yellow, and the entire (duster was very beautiful in the shading 

 from red to yellow. 



In the tropics, this plant grows to a good sized tree, but 

 the development from these seeds has I n very slow, and pre- 

 sents a phenomenon for investigation by the scientific botanist. 



Plate 2. 



A New Autographa from the Mohave Desert 



Fordyce Grinnell, Jr. 



Autographa deserta, new species. 



Expanse: 32 M. M. Forewings, upperside: decidedly gray- 

 ish, darker basally, whiter towards the outer margin; ground 

 color black; the white markings following the courses of the 

 wing-veins, giving the insect a much streaked appearance; dif- 

 ferent from any other form. The usually detached guttiform 

 spot beyond and below the silver is present as a distinct solid 

 white, navicular mark; the silver mark - is absent, in its place 

 is a similar marking, above, projecting basally, white, black 

 within; both marks parallel with the eosta, veins and other 

 while markings. The claviform is very distinct, large and 

 black within. At the base, parallel with the eosta, is a similar 

 mark, white, black within, projecting a little more than hall' 

 way to the diseal signs. The S. T. line consists of a, broad 

 series of white streaks extending from the apex to the cell in 

 an inward, decided curve, another series extending from M2 

 (touching the upper series") to the inner margin, the triangular 

 space above, blackish or rather gray; as is the distinct subter- 

 minal space. The terminal line black, distinct. The fringes 

 are very distinctly and sharply cut by black and white alter- 

 nately. Hind wings pah- silvery gray basally, darker scales 

 along the outer margin; a black terminal line; fringes are even 

 white throughout. Underside: an even decided grayish 



79 



