' SPECIES CROSSES IN THE GENUS NICOTIAN A. 217 



that, if there is any segregation in size, that segregation must 

 be of a decidedly complex kind. 



The few plants obtained in F 2 fi'om self-fertilization were 

 upon the whole decidedlj'- different from F 1. A new charac- 

 ter — the presence of markedly reflexed petals — made its 

 appearance in several of them. One plant only was noticed as 

 having a flower decidedly like that of N. alata, though smaller. 

 There was no plant which approached the other parent form 

 at all closely. 



The hybrid crossed with N. langsdorfii, var. C, yielded a 

 series of plants, in which little sign of segregation could be 

 observed, except in the characters bulged and funnel-shaped 

 corollas, where there was olear segregation in the sense that 

 every plant could be referred with confidence to one or the 

 other category. Still there was considerably more diversity 

 among the plants than in F 1 , though all were more or less 

 intermediate between F 1 and var. C. 



In the case of the two reciprocal crosses between the hybrid 

 and N. alata, among a total of 78 plants which blossomed, 

 the flowers were all closely similar in general shape — like N. 

 alata, but with a narrower limb. Both the reciprocal series 

 showed great diversity in habit and in time of flowering, and 

 a considerable number (14) were overtaken by severe drought 

 whilst still in the rosette stage and never flowered at all. 

 Although the foliage and habit varied beyond the possibility 

 of a complete classification, it was thought that the following 

 five tjrpes could be distinguished. They are recorded in the 

 order of the frequency of their occurrence — of the last two 

 only two or tliree plants each were seen : — 



1 . Plants with rather small narrowish flat leaves. This was 



the form which most nearly approached the origina;l 

 hybrid. 



2. Plants with wider leaves, considerably wrinkled and 



wavy. 



3. Plants with very large flat leaves. 



4. A much-branched type, the main axis being obscure, 



with unusually leafy branches. 



5. Giant plants, 6 feet high or over, the average height 



of the remainuig plants being about 3 to 4 feet. 



