243 

 A CirKIOlTS VARIATION IN THE COMM( ►N MIUvWEED. 



C. A. Li'Dwiii, Cloiiison College. 



Dnriii;,' flio first luilf of Anj,'ust, 1917. while spending a few weeks at 

 lioiiic. I (nniid a \aiiant niilkwood, Aiiclepias syriacn T>., wiiich was so 

 nnnsnal that it was roniovod to the back yard of my parents' liomo for 

 further observation. I>niiug the next summer, lOlS. two other simihir 

 ]>lants were diseovered by my mother and transferred to the yard by my 

 father. These three plants and some seedlings from the first of the 

 three are now growing there. I have not seen them during the growing 

 season since 1917": but as tliere seems to be no prospect of my being in a 

 position to investigate their lieliavior soon, it appears to l)e worth while at 

 this time to note their occun'eiic(\ with such notes as the very imperfect 

 observations warrant. 



The first plant was disc(»vered along the village street about a hundred 

 yards north of the Methodist church in the village of r.looming Grove, 

 Franklin County. Indiana. The distinguishing feature of the plant was 

 the peculiar irregularity of most of the leaf margins, with an accompanying 

 narrowing of the leaves. Many leaves consisted of but little more than the 

 midrib. They had much the appearance of having been partially eaten by 

 chickens, and it was only a careful examination that showed another cause 

 to be responsible. 



The plant contained a few fruits and it seemed desirable to save seed and 

 determine whether or not the progeny would show the same character, but 

 before the seed were ripe tlie plant was cut off by some workman engaged 

 in mowing weeds. However, one stem with the fruits. was recovered and 

 placed in water. By this means a number of viable seeds was secured. 

 The other stems were recovered for a herbarium specimen, and the plant 

 itself was transplanted to the back yard. 



In 1918 the peculiar leaf char.icteristic was largely absent. At best it 

 was represented by no more than a slight narrowing, since my mother 

 wrote me that I must liave obtained the wrong plant the summer before, 

 as the leaves were normal. Furthermore, as noted above, she found two 

 more abnormal plants. These were transplanted the same season near the 

 first one. All three of these plants have had the abnormal leaves during 

 the seasons of 1919 and 1920. The first one also produced seed in 1920. 

 Figs. 1 and 2 show the first plant as it appeared in the summer of 1919. 

 Fig. P. shows Nos. 2 and ?> as they appeared at the same time. Figs. 4-0 

 show tracings of some of the leaves of No. 1. made from the herbarium spe- 

 cimen already mentioned. These show clearly the extreme narrowing of 

 many of the leaves and the irregularities of the margins. 



On April 18, 1918. one hundred four of the immature- seeds .secured the 

 autumn before were planted in a shallow box. A number of seedlings were 

 secured from them and set out a short distance from the mother plant. 

 Of these seedlings about a dozen are still living. None of them shows the 

 leaf character so evident in the parent. The leaves may possibly show a 



n am iiulebted to mv mothor. ^rrs. A. C. T.n.Iwi-. inr tlio ,.l)s.'rvati.)ns made since 

 1017. and for the photojrraplis n'pr.idurod with this \y.\\»-r. 



