246 Variation in Wild Hop 



The whole period throughout which plants in flower could be found 

 extended from the middle of July to the middle of September. For 

 comparison with this, the time of flowering of the wild hop in Italy, as 

 given by various Italian "Floras,'" may be noted: Comolli {Flora 

 Comense, YU. 216 (1857)) "June and July"; Moricand {FL Veneta, i. 

 425) "July"; Naccari (Fl. Veneta, v. 66 (1828)) "July and August"; 

 Parlatore (Fl. Italiana, IV. 303 (1867)) "June to September." It appears 

 probable from the statement of the last-named author that early- and 

 late-flowering forms occur wild in Italy. 



(2) Colour of the Bines. 



The colour of the bines (axes of the annual shoots growing from the 

 perennial rootstock) varies from pale green to dark purplish red. The 

 intermediate forms usually show a distinct mottling consisting of small 

 red and green blotches, and even in the extreme forms faint indications 

 of this mottling can often be detected. Thus in the plants with dark 

 red bines close observation will show spots which are less dark than the 

 prevailing colour while the green bines may show traces of pale reddish 

 spots. The ridges on the mottled bines are often dark red giving the 

 appearance of longitudinal dark stripes. 



The difference in colour between the extreme types (green bines and 

 red bines), and even between these and the strictly intermediate (mottled) 

 forms, is very pronounced and as there is comparatively slight fluctuation 

 from year to year in the colour of the bines of individual plants this 

 character is one which strikingly illustrates the variation which obtains 

 in the seedling hop plants. 



The method of recording these colour differences was as follows : 



pale green. 



G (r) pale green with faint reddish spots. 



Gr green predominating but reddish spots evident. 



g and r distinct red and green blotches giving a mottled appearance. 



Rg red predominating, greenish spots present. 



R (g) dark red with greenish spots hardly distinguishable. 



R dark red. 



The records of typical plants are given below : 



Plants with green bines appear to be of comparatively rare occurrence 

 among seedlings of the wild hop. Of the plants examined (395 in number) 

 only three, 0G4, Z 17, Z42 (the three plants which proved to be "very 

 early " in flowering) can be strictly placed in this division, with the pos- 



