MUTATIONS, VARIATIONS, AND RELATIONSHIPS OF THE OENOTHERAS. 57 



branches arise during the latter part of the season. The stems are nearly 

 terete below, but are slightly channeled above. 



The stem-leaves are 10 to 16 cm. long, and not more than i cm. in width 

 at the middle, obscurely pubescent on both surfaces, thickish, yellowish green, 

 obscurely and irregularly denticulate, with a heavy, broad midvein. The 

 leaves are linear, and taper to the long acuminate tip and to the margined 

 petiole. 



The bracts are narrowly linear and 3 cm. long. The conic portion of the 

 bud is about 12 mm. long and half that in diameter, pale yellow, and barely 

 tapering in the apical portion, being finely pubescent. The free erect tips are 

 irregularly acuminate and 2 to 4 mm. long. 



The hypanthium is 25 to 35 mm. long and exceeds the cal^TC-lobes by half. 



The filaments are 7 to 9 mm. long, stout, and the anthers 4 mm., slender. 

 The pistil is slightly shorter or longer than the stamens, measuring 4 to 6 

 mm., and this species is therefore self-pollinated like the parental form. The 

 stigmatic lobes are 4 to 5 mm. long and spreading. 



The capsules are 25 to 35 mm. long, 4 to 5 mm. in diameter, generally 

 curv^ed, sparingly pubescent, bright green and shining, scarcely tapering to the 

 apex, and, in general, much thinner than the parental type. The ovary is 

 about half or less than half the length of the mature capsule. 



The sepals are 3 mm. long, the petals firm, 15 to 16 mm. long and 15 mm. 

 wide, being crenately emarginate (1905 c, p. 17). 



A small package of the lot of seeds from which the mutant was obtained 

 originally were sent to INIiss Elizabeth Billings, who sowed them in her green- 

 house at Woodstock, Vermont, in March, 1905, and later transferred them to 

 her experimental garden. The 499 plants thus obtained were kept under 

 observation by Miss Billings and Professor F. S. Lee, of Columbia University, 

 with the result that aberrant individuals were found which were identical 

 with those obtained during the previous September in the New York Botanical 

 Garden. 



The development of the newly arisen form has been followed from Septem- 

 ber, 1904, until the present time. The first individual discovered came into 

 bloom on July 2, 1905, having been cultivated under glass during the preced- 

 ing Mdnter. Seeds were matured 5 or 6 wrecks later, and sowings have been 

 made from them, with the result that the aberrant type was found to produce 

 a progeny which contained not more than 12 per cent of the atypic form of 

 individuals, the remainder being of the parental type and unchanged. Hybrid- 

 izations between the aberrant form and the parental form gave the same 

 result, while the aberrant type when crossed with lamarckiana and with ruh- 

 rinervis gave a progeny resembling in general constituency those produced 

 by typical biennis. 



