On thé influence of nutrition on tlie fluctuating 

 variability of some plants 



by 



TINE TAMMES. 



From the Botanical Laboratory of the University 

 at Groningen. 



That nutrition lias an influence on the development of 

 plants has long been known. Also that some parts are 

 much more sensitive in this respect than others and that, 

 for example, the size of the stem and leaf is much more 

 affected by good or bad nutrition than the number of 

 stamens. As yet our knowledge on this point, especially 

 our quantitative knowledge, is very superflcial. The intro- 

 duction of the statistical method, however, into botany has 

 enabled us to formulate more sharply the formerly vague 

 and insufÊciently defined question of the influence of nu- 

 trition and also to interpret the results obtained easily 

 and accurately. 



Although the number of statistical investigations on plant 

 characteristics, carried out in récent years, is fairly nume- 

 rous, yet the influence of nutrition on the value of thèse 

 characteristics has not often been studied. 



De Vries ^) carried out an extensive investigation in 

 this direction with Othonna crassifolia. He compared plants 

 that had been grown in a greenhouse in pots with very 



1) Hugo de Vries, Othonna crassifolia. Bot. Jaarb. Dodo- 

 naea, 1900, p. 20. 



Recueil des trav. bot. Neerl. N°. 1. 1905. 2 



