94 Macfarlane—Observations on Some Hybrids 
D. hybrida is rather strongly incoiled, as in the latter parent. 
The blooms average 10, and these are set ina rather scattered 
sub-secund manner along the false axis. 
(2) Period of Blooming.—I\n my paper on “ Plant Hybrids’’* 
I advanced a considerable body of facts to prove that the 
flowering period of many hybrids is very exactly intermediate 
between the periods of the parents, while other hybrids show 
a decided divergence toward one parent. It has not been 
possible to do more in the present study than to ascertain 
approximately the relative period of blooming. From a study 
made at several localities in New Jersey during the past season, 
it was learned that the first blooms of D. filiformus opened on 
June 7-10, and by June 28 the terminal flowers of the cyme 
were open. When collected on June 30, a number of the 
lower flowers on the more vigorous hybrid plants had already 
passed, while the lowest flowers on small plants and the lower 
middle flowers on strong plants were fully open. The plants 
continued to flower in the University greenhouses till August 3. 
As already noted, when plants of D. zxtermedia were gathered 
the involute flower stalks were just unrolling, and later obser- 
vation showed that this species begins to bloom about July 3, 
and continues until about August 15. In attempting to account 
for the origin of the patch of hybrid plants, therefore, it seems 
extremely likely that a late bloom of D. filiformis, and an 
early bloom of D. intermedia had been concerned in the polli- 
nation process. The limited observations just recorded point 
to D. hybrida as a form which blooms at a period between those 
for the parent species. It should be said, however, that the 
writer and another member of the party succeeded in obtain- 
ing some four blooms of D. filiformis on as many plants as late 
as August 10. That they were entirely out of season was 
proved by hundreds of surrounding plants having their cap- 
sules in an advanced state of maturity. 
(e) Size and Color of the Blooms——Those of D. Jiliformes 
* Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin.. Vol. XXXVIII. 
