12 MUTANTS AND HYBRIDS OF THE OENOTHERAS. 



sometimes inclined to be linear-lanceolate, sessile or short-petioled ; 

 bracts lanceolate, truncate at the base, shorter than the hypanthium ; 

 conic portion of the bud about 4 cm. long, glabrous, the free tips of 

 the sepals subulate, approximate at the base, but ascending ; hypan- 

 thium 4 to 5 cm. long, about 6 mm. wide at the mouth, ridged, gla- 

 brous ; sepals 34 to 47 mm. long, shorter than the tubular portion of 

 the hypanthium, the free tips about 6 mm. long ; petals rather firm, 

 4 to 4.5 cm. long, truncate or broadly emarginate at the apex; fila- 

 ments 21 to 23 mm. long ; anthers 12 to 13 mm. long; capsule 2.5 to 

 3 cm. long, about 7 mm. in diameter at the thickest point, glabrous, 

 strongly curved, narrowed from the base to the apex. (PI. VII.) 



O. argillicola is to be distinguished by the fact that it is well 

 adapted to securing cross-fertilization. When the flower-buds come 

 to the morning of the day on the evening of which they will open, the 

 pistil takes on a greatly accelerated rate of growth and pushes out of 

 the flower-buds to a length of 3 or 4 mm., bearing the unfolded stig- 

 mas in a position in which they may readily receive pollen carried by 

 the wind from neighboring flowers. It is not actually known, however, 

 whether pollination is secured in this manner, or whether insects are 

 of some aid in the matter. A similar behavior of 0. lamarckiana 

 near the close of the season is reported in Holland. The decumbent 

 or non -ascendant branches of O. argillicola form a dense cluster which 

 gives it a very striking appearance. The main bud of the central 

 stem appears to remain dormant. 



The great size of the flower of this species doubtless accounts for 

 some of the reports of the presence of O. grandiflora in the Virginias 

 and Pennsylvania, while the habit of the plant may have also sug- 

 gested some of the notions prevalent as to the variability of O. biennis, 

 with which it may have been confused. 



ONAGRA CRUCIATA (NuTT.) SMAIJ,. 



A number of roots and some seeds of O. cruciata were obtained 

 from Sandy Hill, N. Y., near Lake George, at the close of the season 

 of 1902, and early in the spring of 1903 were divided into two por- 

 tions, one of which was sent to Professor De Vries at Amsterdam, 

 Holland. Only about a dozen plants were brought to maturity in the 

 New York Botanical Garden during 1903, attention being directed 

 principally to the observations on O. lamarckiana and its mutants. 



A letter was received from Professor De Vries under date of Sep- 

 tember 19, 1903, in which he said : 



Until a few weeks ago, and before flowering, the plants were a very uniform 

 lot, with the characteristic reddish crowns and nutating tops. But now they are 

 no longer uniform. There are two very distinct types, only differing in the 



