EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 233 



nine plants had green-fleshed fruits with purple color, wonder- 

 fully various — seven colored and two j>ea-green under the calyx. 

 Very large numbers are essential for workable results in deri- 

 vative crosses like this. 



THE EGGPLANT INFLORESCENCE. 



The inflorescence of the eggplant seems to be the extension 

 of the main axis of the stem. There is a young stem with its 

 various parts located between the flower cluster and the leaf 

 (already quite large) that is at or near the same height upon the 

 stem. The cluster may consist of from one to five (usually 

 2-4) flowers in the American sorts (Solanum riieloiigena) and 

 from five to twelve (usually 7-9) in the oriental species (Sola- 

 num integri folium). The oldest flower is usually the largest in 

 the cluster, arising near the base of the inflorescence and having 

 a stout prickly peduncle that extends laterally and carries the 

 blossom with its face downward. As a rule, the other one or 

 more smaller flowers are upon slender stems and while frequently 

 upright, seldom remain for long and possibly serve in fertiliza- 

 tion like staminate flowers, strictly so-called, and drop by means 

 of well-defined suture close above the first flower, which by this 

 time has begun to develop its fruit, for the holding of which a 

 stout descending stem is in evidence. 



A second flower in the cluster may form a fruit as pairs at 

 the same node show, but with the ordinary American sorts the 

 first flower, as a rule, is the only one that produces a fruit. In 

 the '"Scarlet Chinese" the inflorescence bears more flowers, but 

 there is a basal flower, that is somewhat lateral and with its stem 

 and calyx much more prickly than the others. This, as a rule, 

 forms a fruit and along with it, two or more of the blossoms next 

 above. The time of blooming of a cluster extends over a week or 

 ten days and by the time the upper flowers are open, those lower 

 down are showing sizable green fruits. The uppermost flowers 

 rarely, if ever, form fruits, and their pollen may be of service 

 upon blossoms lower down or upon neighboring later flowers. 

 In general, the cluster of the "American" is easily distinguished 

 from that of the "Chinese" by the smaller number of blossoms 

 and the usual limitation of the fruits to the oldest (axillary) 

 flower. 



At 2 in Plate VI is shown a spray of the hybrid in question with 

 two inflorescences as appearing at blooming time. In the older, 

 lower cluster the axillary flower is past and the spiny calyx is 

 enclosing the forming fruit ; the fifth and sixth flowers are fully 

 out and those below probably would have dropped oft' excepting 



