﻿436 Stout: The Origin of Dwarf Plants 



from 1.75 m. to 2 m. in height with the average quite 0.3 m. 

 taller than that of Series VII and VIII. 



During 1915 there was also grown from seed a series of twenty- 

 eight plants from selfed seed of plant No. i, the parent of the 

 Series I and VI . On August 25, these plants varied from 0.4 m. to 

 0.75 m. tall and nearly all had the dwarf characteristics. The 

 series showed greater variation in general vigor than did the plants 

 of Series VII and VIII in their first year of growth. A series of 

 twenty-three plants derived from selfed seed of one of the robust 

 plants of Series I, grown at the same time were in comparison 

 decidedly robust averaging from 0.8 m. to i m. in height and 

 with no crumpled leaves or strongly developed lateral branches. 

 Another series of eleven plants descended from a plant of Series 

 I classed as intermediate was on the whole intermediate be- 

 tween the two series just mentioned. 



Summary of the cultures 



A total of 288 plants have been grown (at least through a 

 single season) from seed obtained from five sister plants of 

 Hibiscus oculiroseus. The dwarf type of plant has appeared only 

 among the progeny of a single plant (O No. i); the 103 plants 

 derived from the other four sister plants were without exception 

 of the robust type. 



There was much diversity among the progeny of the plant 

 No. I, and the two series of plants grown in the first generation 

 gave quite different proportions. In Series I, there were eleven 

 robust, three intermediate and one dwarf; in Series VI there 

 were forty-five plants, all of which were dwarf. 



The progeny of a single dwarf plant (the only one that has 

 thus far matured seed) was composed of one robust (later 

 appearing to be an accidental hybrid), eight intermediate 

 and seventy-two dwarf plants. While the dwarf type has not 

 bred true the greater number of the progeny are of that type. 

 There is a pronounced tendency to breed true. Robust plants 

 in this line of descent do not always breed true, as the only one 

 tested gave one intermediate plant and thirty-three robust plants. 



A condensed schematic presentation of these facts regarding 



