MALE-STERILITY IN FLAX, SUBJECT TO TWO 

 TYPES OF SEGKEGATION. 



By W. BATESON, M.A., F.R.S. 

 AND Miss A. E. GAIRDNER, 



Of the John Innes Horticultural Institution. 



(With Plate XXVI.) 



In 1912 a single plant was noticed in a patch of Linmn grandiflonnn 

 sown in our border of annuals. It was remarkable as having a blue 

 flower and procumbent habit, whereas L. grandifloruiu is deep crimson 

 and erect. In its low stature the new plant somewhat resembles the 

 various kinds of flax cultivated for oil in many countries. Several of 

 these oil-flaxes have in subsequent years been grown here, but we had 

 none in 1912, which was indeed the first year in which any form of 

 L. usitatissimum was sown in this garden. All the flaxes cultivated, 

 whether for fibre or oil, are included under that specific name. The 

 new plant, which we shall here call the " procumbent," is also evidently 

 a true usitatissimum, though in being procumbent it differs from any 

 variety which we have seen. Obviously it has no connexion with 

 grandifiorum, which is a very distinct species. We have no surmise as to 

 what its origin may have been, but somehow a stray seed from which 

 it arose must have got mixed with the grandifiorum. 



Since in 1912 experiments on flax were begun with various objects 

 the appearance of the procumbent was a matter of interest, and its seeds 

 were collected. Whether the flowers had been covered is not recorded. 

 Probably they were, but the point is of little importance, for only a 

 small percentage of crossing occurs in usitatissimum. The procumbent 

 bred true from the first and has continued true in each year since, 

 except that a naturally cross-bred plant appeared once in a row raised 

 from unprotected seed, as may happen with any flax. 



The new form differs from any other flaxes that we know in the 

 following respects. 



1. It is procumbent during growth, branching much from the base, 

 and the stems reach about 2 ft. in length, lying at first fiat on 



Journ. of Gen. xi ^" 



