14 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



Yellow Trilliums. — Dr. W. W. Bailey writes regarding 

 oiir recent note about yellow trilliums that he has twice seen 

 a yellow form of TriUiiiin cvcctuin; once on Mt. Wachusett 

 and again at Fredericton, New Brunswick. In the latter case 

 it persisted for years. 



Fasciated Composites. — We have recently received a fas- 

 ciated specimen of the common ox-eye daisy {Chrysanthe- 

 miim Icucanthemuui) sent from Ulster County, New York, by 

 Mr. Elwyn Waller. While fasciation has been reported in 

 many other plants, the composites seem especially prone to it. 

 In some years or in some localities the black-eyed Susan 

 {Rudheckia hirta) affords many curious examples. Several 

 years ago, the editor of this magazine described and figured 

 various forms in Mcchan's Monthly. In one the flower-heads 

 were consolidated, but some of the stems were not, showing 

 very plainly that the specimen was not an unusually large 

 flower-head, but was really several heads joined in one. 



Yellow Flowers from Red Ones. — The idea that we 

 may expect white forms of flowers in those species with flowers 

 of red. yellow and blue is as old as botany itself. The reverse, 

 however, is not so certain. Most plants whose flowers are not 

 normally white niay produce red flowered forms, but blue 

 forms of white flowers are exceedingly rare. In a majority 

 of cases, the red flowers are due to the presence of a substance 

 called anthocyan. If but a trifle is present the flowers mav be 

 pink ; if more, deep red or dark purple. This coloring is not 

 confined to the flowers, but occurs in the red and brown tints 

 of leaf and stem, and a superabundance causes seeds and 

 fruits to be black. Underlying this red color and closely con- 

 nected with it, is a yello\v hue and when, by any chance, the 

 red is absent, the yellow conies out and becomes the dominant 

 color. This is the explanation of the many yellow berried 



