384 CALENDAR, 1819. 



ornament the gardens with their flowers : lychnis Choke-' 

 donica, L'dllum candidum, and L. bulbiferum, Hemerocallis 

 fiilca, Campanula Medium, Rosa centifolia, R. canina, /?. 

 arvensls, numerous Geraniums, Pinks, and various sorts of 

 Dianthus barbalus called Sweetwilliams. In the fields the 

 Agrimonia Eupatorla now abounds. 

 Sedum acre flourishes on the walls. 



By a survey of a great number of Poppies sown for the purpose ot 

 comparison, I have in these determined the Officinal and Garden Poppy to 

 be only varieties. I have always been of opinion, that species originate iiv 

 hybrid productions in lusus, and in permanent varieties, whose characteristics 

 are consolidated by time, and often fixed by soil. Another remarkable 

 instance of the effects of soil occurred to me. I had sown a quantity of 

 Officinal Poppy seed in a field, and some of the same in a rich garden soil. 

 The former came up White Officinal Poppies, while the latter were varied, 

 and had black seeds. What is more curious in proportion is, that as the 

 colour of the petals became red, the capsule turned out smaller ; and I have 

 intermediate varieties, between the White Officinal and the Variegated 

 Garden Poppy, whose petals were pale purple, the capsules of a middling 

 size, between the two, and the seed not black, but brownish. Instances, 

 however, occurred of Purple Poppies with large capsules. Another 

 remarkable thing I have observed about these plants is, that when I sowed 

 seed in the garden in clumps, all the Poppies composing certain clumps 

 came up and flowered with the petals of one particular colour, while other 

 clumps were of another colour. Likewise in scattered seed, Poppies 

 immediately in vicinity of each other came up of similar colours. To what 

 this apparent sympathy of contiguity may be owing, I am ignorant ; but 

 were it more known, it might throw some light on the true principle of 

 variation and the production of duplicity in flowers. 



In one cluster of Poppies, and in one only, they all came up double 

 dentated and white; in another double dentated or fringed and red; in 

 another purple; in a fourth single red; and in a fifth single purple. 

 There were only a few exceptions in individuals to this apparent rule of 

 the uniformity of colour in neighbouring Poppies. I have noticed similar 

 phaenomena in Hollyhocks. 



