Oenothera Elliptica. 397 



O. elliptica occasionally appeared in other cultures. 

 Here are some examples. 



OENOTHERA ELLIPTICA. 



INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE ORIGINATED BY MUTATION. 



NUMBER OF SEEDLINGS 



SOURCE YEAR 



TOTAL O. ELLIPTICA 



3200 6 



O. Lamarckiana (subsidiary cul- j 1889, 1891, 

 tures in the laevifolia-f SLmily) I 1893, 1894 



O.Lamarcktana{iTom. O.sciniillans) 1898 1080 2 



O.oblonga 1896 1680 1 



O. Lamarckiana X O. nanella 1899 3815 1 



O. Lamarckiana X O. brevistylis 1898 290 1 



O. Lamarckiana X O. suaveolens Desf. 1897 200 1 



Totals 10265 12 



This is a proportion of about 1 in a thousand. It 

 appeared in similar proportions in other cultures. Alto- 

 gether rather more than 50 mutants have arisen. 



This species flowered in 1890 (1), 1891 (1), 1895 

 ( 3 ) , 1 896 ( 3 ) , 1 897 ( 1 ) , that is, only tentimes altogether. 

 I obtained seeds from the three plants of 1895, and from 

 those of 1896 and 1899; in all of which cases self-fertili- 

 zation had taken place under bags. 



The first plant of 1895 set seed abundantly, and gave 

 rise to some hundreds of seedlings, wdiich grew to fine 

 rosettes but proved however to be ordinary Lamarckiana. 

 Many of them flowered in their first summer, but others 

 passed through the winter as rosettes. 



The second mutant had about 500 offspring; one of 

 these was an 0. elliptica which had become a fine rosette 

 by the middle of August but was then killed by a cater- 

 pillar in the soil. The remaining seedlings were normal 

 Lamarckianas. 



