192 



PETUNIA VIOLACEA. 



Chap VI. 



seeds had not been sufficiently ripened, and thus produced 

 weakly plants, which grew at first at an abnormally quick rate, 

 as occurred with seedlings from not well-ripened self-fertilised 

 seeds of Iberis. When the crossed plants were between 3 and 4 

 inches in height, the six finest in four of the pots were measured 

 to the summits of their stems, and at the same time the six 

 finest of the self-fertilised plants. The measurements are given 

 in the preceding table (LXXVIIL), and it may be here seen that 

 all the self-fertilised plants exceed their opponents in height, 

 whereas when subsequently measured the excess of the self- 

 fertilised depended chiefly on the unusual tallness of two of the 

 plants in Pot II. The crossed plants here average 8*27, and 

 the self-fertilised 6 '08 inches in height; or as 100 to 186. 

 When fully grown they were again measured, as follows : 



Table LXXIX. 

 Petunia viotacea (Third Generation ; plants fully grown). 



The eight crossed plants now averaged 40 " 96, and the eight self- 

 fertilised plants 53 87 inches in height, or as 100 to 131 ; and this 

 excess chiefly depended, as already stated, on the unusual tallness 

 of two of the self-fertilised plants in Pot II. The self-fertilised 

 had therefore lost some of their former great superiority over the 

 crossed plants. In three of the pots the self-fertilised plants 

 flowered first ; but in Pot III. at the same time with the crossed. 



The case is rendered the more strange, because the crossed 

 plants in the fifth pot (not included in the two last tables), in 



