158 HumBeErtT: A STRIKING VARIATION IN SILENE NOCTIFLORA 
new whorl being placed above an interval between leaves of the 
preceding whorl. Fic. 2 is reproduced from a photograph of this 
plant. 
It is no uncommon thing to find Silene noctiflora seedlings with 
divided seed-leaves. All gradations have been noted from the 
extreme where both seed-leaves are completely divided, giving the 
appearance of four seed-leaves, to a partial division of one seed- 
leaf. When one seed-leaf is divided the seedling has the appear- 
ance of a plant with three seed-leaves. In all such monstrosities, 
however, the leaves which follow the seed-leaves are opposite and 
the plant is thereafter quite normal. The plant here pictured in 
Fic. 2 is the first one observed to show a completely altered 
phyllotaxy. 
Silene noctiflora seeds were secured from the Department of 
Plant Breeding, Cornell University, in the fall of 1916, and an 
attempt was made to grow seedlings in the garden in 1917. 
Only one (very much stunted) plant produced seed, due to un- 
favorable environment. The seed from this plant produced the 
seedlings pictured. 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 
COLLEGE STATION, TEXaAs 
