318 



Observations now being made upon several species and varieties of 

 digitalis have revealed variations which wonld prove of considerable 

 commercial value if fi^und associated with a correspondingly high per- 

 centage of active principle. A dissimilarity of leaf forms has been ob- 

 tained in plants grown from seed which offer valuable material for selec- 

 tion as to form, size, color, and arrangement, relative number per plant, 

 length of petiole, texture and curing properties. Differences have also 

 been noted as to rate and percentage of seed germination, flowering period, 

 1 roduction of suckers, hardiness, and ease of propagation and cultivation. 



In the course of an investigation upon a form of digitalis found grow- 

 ing adveutively in iiarts of Oregon, an excellent example has been obtained 

 of the uncei'tainty of the botanical origin of commercial digitalis and the 

 difficulty of the separation ot distinct forms upon a basis of leaf char- 

 acters. One hundred and forty plants said to represent the first year's 

 growth were obtained from this source. These plants were collected in 

 Ihe open and represented a locality from which connnercial digitalis leaves 

 had been marketed. These plants arrived in excellent condition and were 

 transi)lanted in the open near Indianapolis in early spring. They were 

 closely observed throughout the season and during this time but few 

 l!lants llowered, all of the.se, however, coming true to the description of 

 Digitalis purpurea I., and were (juite uniform as to leaf characters. The 

 plants made excellent growth during the sunnner and went into the winter 

 as large, strong lu-altliful iilants in fit rondition for ex])eriniental pur- 

 l!oses. To test this form for hardiness in this latitude tlies(> plants were 

 left in an exposed locality in an unprotected condition throughout the 

 year. Forty-three per cent, withstooil the seven- winter of litiu-ll and 

 llowered, but very irregulaiiy, during the ensuing sunnner. The effects of 

 the exposure were niai'ifested by a much lower production of leaves than 

 that attained during tin' lirst year's growth. Among the sixty plants 

 v^iiich survived the winter there was one which produced racemes of pure 

 white floweis instead of the characteristic purple Howers of Digitalis pur- 

 laii-ea L. The pivsenc e of this form among a comiiaratively small number 

 of plants indicates the admixture of a varietal form, the medicinal prop- 

 erties of which are not known. The other individuals which flowered 

 Wire fairly uniform in all visible characters except as to variations in 

 flower arrangement, some bearing upright instead of dronjdng flowers, 

 an arrangement which gave the plants a striking appearance. Seed selec- 



