522 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. IVol. 36 



In connection with a discussion of tlie triploifl nature of the endosperm in 

 maize, a new formula is proposed for the Fi zy;;ote, AA.a being the zygotic 

 formula supposed to apply when the plant with the gametic formula A has been 

 taken as the maternal plant, and aa.A when the plant with the gametic formula 

 a has been taken as the maternal plant. The dominant factor A being dupli- 

 cated in the first of these cases, seeds of the darker blue or black color are 

 produced, while that factor is single in the second case, giving light blue. 



The difficulties of interpretation of zygotic distribution concerning colors on 

 an ear of dihybrid and polyhybrid maize plants are supposedly due to several 

 conditions, one of which is noted above. Another is believed to be the occur- 

 rence of two kinds of similar pigments, which were detected by microchemical 

 and macrochemical tests briefly described. These may occur in the same seeds 

 and may impair the reliability of genetic studies in such cases. 



Observations on inheritance of sex-ratios in Mercurialis annua, C. Tam- 

 POLSKY (Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard., 6 {1916), pp. GO-H). — Observations extending: 

 to the Fb generation of M. anmia, and still in progress, appear to negative the 

 assumption that either one or the other of the sexes has two lands of gametes. 



Inheritable variations in the yellow daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), A. F. Blakes- 

 LEE {Mem. N. Y. Bot. Gard., 6 {1916), p. 89). — Among the variations noted, 

 most of which appear to be inheritable in the wild yellow daisy, are such as re- 

 late to the absence or presence, somewhat definite numbers, position, width, 

 shape, and coloration of rays ; to the shape, size, and color of the disk ; and to 

 such vegetative characters as height, branchings, fasciations, and leaf size and 

 shape. Other characters are being investigated. 



A tetracotyledonous race of Phaseolus vulgaris, J. A. Harris (Mem. N. Y. 

 Bot. Gard., 6 {1916), pp. 229-2U, fiffs. 3; Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 2 {1916), No. 6, 

 pp. 317, 318). — An account is given of the study of a teratological race of 

 P. vulgaris which originated in the progeny of a plant grown in 1907, all the char- 

 acteristics of its origin being characteristic of de Vriesan mutation. 



The race has proved to be practically constant for the four generations during 

 which the offspring have been studied. While it is designated as tetracotyled- 

 onous for lack of a better descriptive term, the cotyledons (most frequently four 

 in number) are highly variable, the primordial leaves being still more so. A low 

 degree of correlation has been noted between cotyledon number and leaf number. 



Self, close, and cross fertilization of beets, H. B. Shaw {Mem. N. Y. Bot. 

 Gard., 6 {1916), pp. 149-152, pi. 1, fig. 1). — Having found that under isolation 

 tents of material having meshes as fine as the finest usetl by European WTiters 

 fertilization occurred to the amount of about 23 per cent in case of seed beets, 

 and having concluded that cross-fertilization is usually possible owing to the 

 coarseness of the meshes in the cloth available for this purpose, the author sepa- 

 rated his growing seed beets by intervals of at least two miles. The highest 

 resulting percentage of seed in no case rose above 2.29 per cent. Several plants 

 which remained sterile showed a development otherwise normal. 



Experiments carried out are thought to show that in cross-pollination between 

 two different plants of the same progeny the percentage of potential fertilization 

 appears to be 100 per cent, being limited in practice only by the technique. Close 

 pollination between flowers of different stems of the same plant resulted in 

 fertilization in 8.54 per cent of the cases and in carpel stimulation (to growth) in 

 3.47 per cent. Close pollination between flowers of different spikes resulted in 

 fertilization in 5.23 per cent of the cases and in carpel stimulation in 5.8 per 

 cent. Close pollination between different flowers of the same spike resulted, ac- 

 cording to technique, in pollination in from 2.7 to 2.63 per cent and in stimulation 

 in 1.43 to 5.26 per cent of the cases. Self-pollination resulted in neither fertiliza- 

 tion nor carpel stimulation in any case. 



