428 MK. A. W. SUTTON ON RESULTS OBTAINED BY CROSSING 



not possible to-day, so far as I am aware, to find in any locality a plant of 

 Pisum sativum in its wild state. The two species, Pisum arvense and Pisum 

 satirum, are so different in character, that we naturally assume a distinct 

 origin for each, although some authorities claim a common ancestor for both. 

 Under these circumstances it was with very special interest that I noticed in 

 190-1, in a remote part of Palestine, some small Pea plants which were 

 growing in an absolutely wild state, and where there was no possibility 

 of their being " escapes " from previous cultivation. 



This wild Pea was in full pod and had lost its blooms, so that I was unable 

 to see whether it was most likely to be a variety of " Pisum sativum'' or 

 " Pisum ari'ense " but as the form of the pods, though exceedingly small, so 



Fig. 1 . 



The Palestine I'ea. 



much resembled those of the Garden Pea, I clung to the hope that I had 

 found an original form of that Pea, rather than of the Field Pea, especially 

 as there was no colour in the axils, a character which is invariably seen in 

 every commercial type of " Pisum arcense" I have met with, and is alwavs 

 associated with coloured flowers. 



The height of the plant, as I saw it growing in Palestine, was perhaps 

 two feet or a little less, the growth was by no means robust, and the pods 

 were very small, slightly curved and obtuse. 



