LEAKE AND RAM PRASAD. 49 



A numl)er of observations of a series of Indian types growing 

 at the Royal Botanical Garden, Palermo, has also been made by 

 Todaro.* As this work is not readily accessible a translation of his 

 remarks may here be given. 



'' G. herbaceum Linn, in this cultivation of 1877 preserved 

 " its character unchanged, as in all preceding years. 



" In the different qualities of G. wightianmn sown this year in 

 " greater proportions, important phenomena were to be seen, which 

 " show that this Indian species crosses very easily with the other 

 " species proper to the Old World ; for it is sometimes crossed 

 " with our G. neglectmn and sometimes with G. herbaceum var. micro- 

 " earpum, its hybrids assuming intermediate forms which linlc one 

 " to the other ; but on repeating the culture of these hybrids, 

 " which are all fertile, we get plants nearer to the types, and 

 " in the second year some exhibit all the specific characters either 

 "of G. wightianum or of G. neglectimi, while cultivated separately 

 " and at a great distance apart, they preserve their characters 

 " intact. 



" G. herbaceum oar. microcarpum can fertilise G. wightianmh 

 " and 6r, neglectum, but it is never fertilised by them ; like the species, 

 " however, the seeds of the hybrid constantly reproduce the same 

 " plant. When G. herbaceum is repeatedly grown in poor ground 

 " without irrigation, the capsules and leaves become smaller, the 

 " plant is less branched, but the size of the flower and the shape 

 " and divisions of the bracts do ]iot vary ; this is not the case 

 " with G. wightianum which is as easily fertilized by G. neglectmn 

 " as by G. herbaceum var. microcarpmn ; the colour and size of the 

 " flower do not change, nor does the capsule acquire the dimen- 

 " sions of those of G. herbaceum ; and we never find in its bracts 

 " the incisions and other characters which distinguish the species 

 " with which it has been crossed. 



" In these hybrids it is nearly always G. wightianum which 

 " fertilizes G. neglectum ; the plants obtained resemble G. 

 " wightianum in the characters of their leaves ; and in the second 



* Kev, Cult, dei cotoni, p. 48, l8"i>. 



