176 .4 Preliminary Note on the Genetics q/Fragaria 



My first virginiana plants, obtained from Kew, were females with 

 rudiments of stamens but no pollen. Accordingly I obtained plants ft'om 

 America, which were said to be males. Any that flowered the first 

 year they arrived were apparently males. In the following year (191.3) 

 I found these new plants consisted of males, hermaphrodites and females. 

 Some apparent hermaphrodites are really males, but as these cannot be 

 distinguished from functional hermaphrodites by simple inspection, 

 I have as yet been unable to make the crosses Male x Female, 

 Male X Hermaphrodite and Female x Hermaphrodite, and to self Her- 

 maphrodite ; but at the earliest possible date I intend to make these 

 crosses, as my plants are now apparently classified. 



The following crosses made in 1911 are of interest (purely female 

 virginiana used throughout). 



Parents virginiana and chiloensis (I think) pure male. 



F, 16 ? \-2 ^ 6 ? . 



Three plants did not flower. 

 Parents virginiana x chiloensis hicida, pure male. 



F, 49 ? 27 </ 16 ? . 



Eleven plants did not flower. 

 Parents virginiana x grandiflora, hermaphrodite. 



20 ? ^ 14 9. 



Forty-two plants did not flower. 

 Parents virginiana x vesca, hermaphrodite. 



^1. A very few fertile females, a very few fertile hermaphrodites, 

 sterile females, some apparently males and a large number of plants 

 that did not flower. (The plants are rather too young to base results 

 on but show three sex-types.) 



A cross of nearly pure male chiloensis hermaphrodite x grandiflora, 

 hermaphrodite (used as male parent) gave a minority of hermaphrodite, 

 a majority of males, and no females. 



That the crosses female virginiana x grandiflora hermaphrodite 

 and nearly male chiloensis x the same grandiflora pollen produced no 

 males in the first case and no females in the second is certainly curious. 



It is worth remarking that one or two female flowers on a plant 

 may set a seed or two and all the other flowers be quite sterile, or 

 again on another j^lant of the same parentage one female flower may 

 set seed freely and all the other flowers be sterile. 



