2 Types of 1 nfiorescence and Fruits in Tomato 



Description of Types. Var. "Wonder of Italy." 



Inflorescence. 



The inflorescence of this variety is large and much branched ; the 

 primary branching appears to be dichotomous\ Subsequently much 

 secondary growth develops and continues indefinitely. Under natural 

 conditions the vegetative period is very long-, and a mass of growth is 

 formed about three or four feet wide, accompanied with fruit and flowers 

 in practically all stages of development. (Plate I, fig. 1, $ , and Plate II, 

 figs. 3 and 4, yL.) At the commencement of these experiments this 

 type of inflorescence was referred to as " compound," owing to its 

 complex nature, and it will be convenient to use this term throughout 

 the paper. 



In tomatoes the inflorescence terminates the main axis of the plant, 

 and in these compound types this fact is evident, as the inflorescence is 

 completely adnate thi-oughout the axis, and does not break away from 

 an internode of the apparent main growth. In this type the inflores- 

 cence appears to break away opposite to a node. Frequently however 

 it is fused to the axillary gi-owth for a considerable distance (Plate V, 

 fig. 11), but as the plants get older this fusion is not so apparent, and 

 then the inflorescence appears to arise from an internode. After the 

 formation of an inflorescence axillary growth develops from the adjacent 

 node. This growth usually develops six nodes and then terminates 

 again in an inflorescence^ This occurrence is not however constant, 

 and there are also cases, apparently due to displacements, where the 

 adnation of the inflorescence referred to is not complete, but both 

 arrangements are very regular. 



' The branching is really false dichotomy. 



- Plants with this type of inflorescence are not widely grown in this country, but under 

 cultivation the practice is to remove the secondary growth from the inflorescence at an 

 early stage, so that the primary fruits are subjected to a more favourable development. 

 The inflorescence is therefore much smaller and the vegetative period is also relatively 

 shorter than when the plant grows without interference. Since these experiments were 

 commenced Messrs Buck, Nurserymen, Ipswich, have introduced a variety of tomato with 

 a compound type of inflorescence, under the name of "Buck's Tresco." The origin 

 of this variety I have no knowledge of, but it and "Wonder of Italy" are the only 

 varieties, that I am aware of, that have the above described compound type of inflores- 

 cence. 



^ In tomatoes apparently a one-third phyllotaxis exists, and in these compound types 

 an inflorescence forms at the termination of two genetic spirals. 



