304 



NATURAL CROSS-FERTILIZATION IN INDIA. 



must have taken place between two related types of Pisum ar- 

 vense. 



In the case of Pisum sativum {mattar) 29 single plants were 

 sown in 1909, and at the harvest of 1910 three of these gave rise to 

 mixed offspring. The history of these splitting cases is as follows : 

 In a plot of this crop raised from local seed in 1908 four greenish 

 seeds with black spots were selected. Probably these were taken 

 from a single plant, bu,t on this point we are not certain. 

 However, these four seeds were sown separately in October 1908 

 and gave rise to four plants as follows : — 



Selected from 

 1908 crop. 



Raised in 1908-09. 



Raised in 1909-10 from the single 

 plants of 1909. 



Four large greenish I 

 aeds with black >. 

 spots. 



Flowers white, seed white. 



Flowers purple, seed green 

 without spots. 



Flowers purple, seed green 

 with a few violet spots. 



Flowers purple, seed green 

 with many violet spots. 



Flowers white, seed white. 



I" Flowers white, seed white (6). 



-^ „ purple, seed green without 



[ spots (16). 



'Flowers white, seed white (6). 



I^seed green with violet 



„ purpleJ spots (9). 



\ seed green without 

 I spots (1). 



TFlowers white, seed white (4). 

 \ ,, purple, seed green with violet 

 spots. (17). 



Natural crossing has undoubtedly taken place between mattar 

 and kerao, eind as far as we can find, the above is the only case on 

 record of a cross having taken place between purple and white 

 flowered peas. (Plate II.) 



4. Khesari. (Lathyrus sativus, L.) 

 This vetch known as khesari^ is widely cultivated in India 

 for food. We have found no record of any work having been 

 done in India on the pollination of this species. Kirchner'^ 

 observed the honey-bee on cultivated plants in Wurtemburg. When 

 it settled in the middle of the flower, it was dusted with pollen 



1 Watt, The Commercial Prodiictx of India, 'London, I'XIS, p. 70 i. 



2 Knuth, Handbook of Fhmvr Pollination, Vol. J J, 1!)0)S, \k 3:>1. 



