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Remarks on the Period of Duration of Reseda Luteola, tyc. 

 By George Lawson, Esq. 



In February of the present year, while walking along the railway 

 embankment at Ninewells, near Dundee, my attention was attracted 

 by numerous plants of the Reseda Luteola that had flowered during 

 the previous year, and which were sending out strong and healthy 

 shoots, which gave promise of flowering again during the present 

 season. One of these plants, with the previous year's flower-stem 

 still attached, I removed to my garden, in order the better to watch 

 its progress ; and it is now, at the present time, in full flower, and a 

 most luxuriant plant it is, with the last year's flower-stem still standing 

 withered and bare, to show the perennial duration of the plant. 



From the above facts I am not desirous of arguing that this Reseda 

 should be considered as in any way having claims to be classed as a 

 constant perennial. Even on the very same embankment where I 

 observed the perennial plants, there were the withered remains of 

 many that had evidently, by their single upright flower-stem, produced 

 flowers and seeds only once, and then died. The perennial plants 

 observed I look upon as exceptions (although indeed numerous) to 

 the general rule, — plants whose strength had not been quite exhausted, 

 as is generally the case, by the production of flowers and seeds during 

 the preceding year, and had thus been enabled to preserve vitality 

 until the return of spring. That, as a general rule, the Reseda Lu- 

 teola grows up from the seed, produces flowers, thereafter seeds, and 

 then dies, will I dare say be generally admitted ; but another question 

 relating to its period of duration arises, about which there may exist 

 more difference of opinion, and more difference in the result of obser- 

 vation likewise. Is the plant an annual or a biennial ; does it spring 

 from the seed and perfect flowers and seeds, then die, all in one sea- 

 son, or does it require two seasons to complete this course ? This 

 question I feel a very considerable difficulty in answering, as my ob- 

 servations on " annual " and " biennial " plants have led me to the 

 conclusion that these terms only form a distinction without a diffe- 

 rence. Indeed, in books the distinction and the difference are both 

 very clear ; .but when we go to the fields we find that annuals and bi- 

 ennials are so accommodating to circumstances, and that the "period 

 of duration " of both is so changeable (the annual so very frequently 

 assuming the character of the biennial, and the biennial in turn that 

 of the annual), that we get into a maze of confusion and cannot tell 

 which is which. Need I refer to the works of authors on the subject, 



