Oenothera Nanclla. 



361 



estimation first as being derived forms and secondly by 

 the supposed fact that they do not come true to seed 

 but from time to time revert to the type of the species. 

 This latter view has long been shown to be baseless ; for 

 many varieties are just 

 as constant as the best 

 species. Varieties are re- 

 ally distinguished by the 

 fact that the same vari- 

 ation recurs in a great 

 number of species and 

 genera. The type is not 

 new but appears under a 

 variety of forms. 



Let us apply this to 

 our dwarf Oenothera. 

 Dwarf varieties are as 

 numerous as, for exam- 

 ple, glabrous ones. The 

 following are some well- 

 known examples, Tage- 

 tes patiila nana, Tagetes 

 signata nana, Scabiosa 

 atro purpurea nana, Pap- 

 aver somniferiiin nanum, 

 Dianthus caryophylliis 

 nanus, Dianthus barba- 

 tus nanus, Cheiranthus 

 cheiri nanus, Matfhiola 

 incana nana, Calliopsis bicolor nana, Cuphea purpurea 

 nana, Impatlens Balsamina nana and many others.^ Most 

 of them are very popular garden-flowers. 



* See List in Carriere, Production et Fixation des Varietes, p. lO. 



Fig. yy. Oenothera nanella. Entire 

 plants with flowers and almost 

 fully grown fruits. Va nat. size. 



