182 Var'uition in the Male Hop, Huinulus lu|)»iliis A. 



Leaves. 



The length of the leaves (bracts) varies from 7 to In inchi^s. rmcly 

 is 11 inches reached; the variation appears to be wholly '"continuous," 

 depending on the age and vigour of the plant and on the environment. 



Colour of I lie leaves. The range of tint in the leaves is not extensive, 

 though there is evidence that some plants WTth leaves paler than the 

 average retain that character to a greater or less extent from year to 

 year and when transplanted as cuttings to other parts of the garden. 

 To determine this point absoluti'ly may involve the use of a C((iour 

 chart. 



Lamina. The laminn of (lie leaf nia\' be either almost flat or the 

 margins may be more or less recurved so that the upper surface is 

 convex, and the irregular wrinkling of the leaf, due to the relatively 

 more vigorous development of the tissues between the veins, may 

 be pronounced or feeble. A distinct wrinkling of the surface is usually 

 associated with a strong recurving of the marginal portions of the leaf. 

 The constancy of this character is, like the last, at present doubtful, 

 yet observations tend to show that at any rate the extreme types are 

 fairly constant. 



The four Oregon male ho])s already mentioned have borne leaves, 

 during the time they have been under observation, which are decidedly 

 less recurved and wrinkled than a typical English male hop. Two 

 English (J hops, D 22 [= 32.') and 320] and F 2 [- 309 and 310], show 

 the same character, all the six hills having produced leaves weakly 

 wrinkled and recurv(>(l during the hist three years without exception. 

 Several single hills have siiown tiie same tendency during the same 

 period. 



Some hills, relatively few in number, bear leaves which are more 

 strongly recurved and wrinkled than the average. The plant showing 

 this feature most conspicuously is No. 279, which is a very vigorous 

 seedling, raised from the Fuggles crossed with an English male hop, 

 and was planted out in the garden in 1908; only one other hill has 

 hitherto been raised from it (viz. No. 330) and this has not been long 

 enough established for its characters to be constant. 



The lobing of the leaves. The first leaves (succeeding the coty- 

 ledons) produced by a seedling hop plant are cordate and toothed but 

 unlobed ; later three-lobed and then five-lobed leaves appear. In the 

 English hop the five-lobed character is retained in the mature plant, 

 the majority of the leaves of any one hill being of that form, while 



