414 TWIN PLANTS FROM ONE SEED. 



character of the blossom. Some persons, perhaps, 

 will be disposed to believe that an endochrome may 

 be modified in its character, and that the peculiarities 

 of the hybrid plant may be produced by the situa- 

 tion in which it is at first developed ; but, if this were 

 the fact, it is clear that the hybrid seedlings ought 

 all to resemble each other as much as do individuals 

 of one species, which is far from the truth, as has been 

 just now stated. Moreover, a fact came under the 

 observation of the writer which completely set aside 

 the idea of such an explanation of the phenomena ; 

 for, in one example of the hybrid fuchsia seedlings, 

 the singular circumstance occurred of one seed pro- 

 ducing two plants entirely different in appearance and 

 character. It cannot be doubted that these very 

 dissimilar structures were the produce of one seed, 

 since they were closely coherent below the two pair 

 of cotyledon leaves, into a single cylindrical stand, 

 so that they had subsequently the appearance of be- 

 ing branches of one trunk. The plant was, before 

 flowering, killed by an unexpected, severe frost, but 

 not before this peculiarity had been observed by 

 many persons. In the case just cited, the idea of a 

 modification of structure caused by a mere circum- 

 stance of situation in the early stages of growth is 

 quite untenable ; for, were such the case, it is clear 

 there could not have been the great dissimilarity 

 which presented itself in these twin plants — the 

 product of a single seed." ^ 



1 As quoted by Dr. Lindley. 



