298 LUTHER BURBANK 



members of the family, show a strong propen- 

 sity to vary. The black nightshade in particular 

 takes a great variety of forms according to soil 

 and other conditions; each locality having its 

 own variety differing in minor respects from 

 plants of other regions. 



I have gone somewhat into detail in this mat- 

 ter, because I wished to establish clearly the 

 standing of the Solanum guinense that was used 

 in my hybridizing experiments, and which thus 

 became one of the parents of the Sunberry ; and 

 in particular I wished to make clear that this is 

 a species differing considerably from the better 

 known black nightshade, Solanum nigrum, with 

 which it has by ignorant or viciously inclined per- 

 sons been confounded. 



The other parent of the Sunberry, already 

 named as Solanum vittosum, is a plant differing 

 conspicuously from either of those just de- 

 scribed. It is low, and tends to a spreading 

 growth a few inches above the ground, never 

 growing upright. The foliage of the plant is 

 pubescent or downy, accounting for its scientific 

 name. In this regard also it is quite different from 

 both Solanum nigrum and Solanum guinense. 



The fruit grows in clusters of five berries that 

 droop characteristically and always remain 

 greenish in color even when ripe, whereas the 



