BY THE SELECTION OF SOMATIC VARIATIONS. 49 



already indicated, conditions favoring rapid and vigorous growth lead 

 to the development of entire leaves. In vegetative propagation, 

 however, the periodic laciniate condition develops only in certain 

 subclones. In other subclones it has not appeared. That is, the same 

 conditions of environment and treatment do not lead to the appear- 

 ance of the laciniate character in all plants, so it is hardly to be con- 

 sidered as purely environmental. The laciniate character has also 

 developed in one plant in the manner of bud variations. 



SEED PROGENY. 



The data obtained from the seed progeny of my strains of Coleus 

 have direct bearing on the nature and inheritance of the bud variations 

 that appear and indicate that bud variations can give rise to as widely 

 different forms as can be obtained among the various members of a 

 hybrid progeny. 



Selfed seed was obtained from a plant of the pattern yellow-green- 

 red blotched and 22 plants were grown during the latter part of the 

 summer of 1914. In respect to the development of green and yellow, 

 there was every gradation between green with large yellow blotches 

 irregularly distributed through the leaf -blade and pure green. In 

 respect to the development of red in the epidermis, there were grada- 

 tions from absence of red to a general distribution of large irregular 

 blotches. As in the case of bud variations, the different types of epi- 

 dermal red occurred independently of the degree of development of 

 underlying green and yellow. 



In regard to leaf-shape, there was every range of variation. Few 

 plants could be classed as laciniate, but there was every gradation from 

 shallow to deep lobing and from coarse to fine lobing. The leaves on 

 any one plant were quite uniform. It should be noted that the lacini- 

 ate character had not appeared in the particular subclone from which 

 these seedlings were derived. It had appeared in sister subclones 

 as described above. Seven plants possessed leaves quite like those of 

 the parent type, both in respect to the cuneate base and the crenate 

 margin. Five plants, however, had large leaves, some measuring 10 

 inches long, that were broadly obtuse at the base, with the cuneate 

 character lacking. From plants possessing flat leaves with a smooth 

 surface there was gradation to those with leaves much crinkled or 

 folded. 



At the same time 23 plants were grown from selfed seed of a plant 

 which possessed the laciniate leaf-type as a fluctuating character. 

 The plant itself also fluctuated in respect to the development of green 

 and yellow as follows: during the winter of 1913-14, its leaves were 

 strongly laciniate and devoid of yellow, and during the following sum- 

 mer the plant was quite yellow, becoming almost like the type green- 

 yellow-red blotched (fig. 2) and every leaf was entire. In their develop- 



