42 



Latoit and Scini-Latcnt Characters. 



several occurred with trifoliate (instead of single) pri- 

 mordial leaves (Fig. 4). I only selected these as seed-hear- 

 ers, for transplanting, and I effected a considerable simpli- 

 fication in my cultures hy adopting this mark as a cri- 

 terion for all further selection of stock plants. For the 

 definitive selection could now be made 2-3 weeks after 

 sowing, and it was not necessary to pay any further 

 attention to the development of the character; this was 

 fully insured. Nevertheless I took care by means of 



further experiments to sat- 

 isfy myself that there exists 

 a fairly close relation be- 

 tween a large number of 4-7- 

 merous leaves on a plant and 

 a high percentage of abnor- 

 mal seedings produced by it. 

 In July 1893 I only saved 

 the 12 best plants raised 

 from the seed of the plant 

 of 1892 with 60% abnormal 

 oftspring. With the excep- 

 tion of two plants they all 

 bore not only 4-6-foliate 

 leaves, Lmt even some 7- 

 merous ones. The four best had 27, 30, 33 and 34 of 

 this latter type. There were no leaves with more than 

 seven leaflets. 



The plant with 34 7-merous leaves also produced the 

 highest percentage of abnormal seedlings, as shown bv 

 the result of the sowing in the following spring. Of 209 

 seedlings produced, 51 had a bimerous, and 61 a trimer- 

 ous, primordial leaf, i. e., 55% of abnormalities. It was 

 therefore chosen as seed-parent (see p. 38). It should 



Fig. 4- TrifoUum pratcnse quin- 

 que folium. A, Seedling with 

 a trifoliate primordial leaf. 

 B, C, Seedlings with single 

 and bimerous primordial 

 leaves ; these two latter types 

 were regarded in my race as 

 atavistic. 



