216 Observation of the Origin of Varieties. 



in those individuals from the seeds of which the 

 mutation arises the latent character is not more 

 highly or more often developed than in the rest 

 of the race. 



4. The mutation is repeated in successive genera- 

 tions. I observed it for two years, but did not 

 follow it further. 



5. The mutation occurred in about 1% of the indi- 

 viduals. 



6. The new character was exhibited by the mutants, 

 in a full state of development, in all their flowers ; 

 although it was subject to considerable fluctuating 

 variability. 



7. The mutants are to a large extent, perhaps even 



perfectly, constant from seed. The intensity of 



inheritance observed was about 90%, but it is 



probably more. 



* * * 



Let us next see how these results can be applied to 

 the explanation of the occurrence of the Pcloria in the 

 free state. Wholly peloric plants have been found wild 

 bv numerous botanists and in the most diverse localities; 

 but, so far as the published information extends, always 

 as rarities. They maintained themselves during a larger 

 or shorter period of years by means of their radical buds, 

 perhaps produced some scanty seed but could not spread 

 nor reach new localities by this means. They must there- 

 fore have originated in each case in the spot where they 

 were found. 



I imagine that this origin is determined everywhere 

 by the same general laws, and thence conclude that it 

 occurs in the wild state in the same manner as in the 

 particular case observed by me, i. e., from Linaria viil- 



