408 BUD-VARIATION. Chap. XL l 



in a lesser degree in the foliage of the Pelargonium and Chrysan- / 

 themum, have been noticed. 1 will now add a few more cases of/ 

 variation in leaf-buds. Verlof'- states that on Aralia trifoliafaj 

 which properly has leaves with three leaflets, branches frequently 

 appear bearing simple leaves of various forms; these can be propaT 

 gated by buds or by grafting, and have given rise, as he states, t> 

 several nominal species. ' 



With respect to trees, the history of but few of the many varieti* 

 with curioiis or ornamental foliage is known; but several probab^? 

 have originated by bud- variation. Here is one case : — An old asb 

 tree {braxinns excelsior) in the grounds of Necton, as Mr. Masol 

 states, " for many years has had one bough of a totally differeit 

 character to the rest of the tree, or of any other ash-tree which I 

 have seen; being short-jointed and densely covered with foliage" 

 It was ascertained that this variety could be propagated )y 

 grafts.'^' The varieties of some trees with cut leaves, as the odi- 

 leaved laburnum, the parsley-leaved vine, and especially the feii- 

 leaved beech, are apt to revert by buds to the common forml."- 

 The fern-like leaves of the beech sometimes revert only partialy, 

 and the branches display here and there sprouts bearing comnpn 

 leaves, fern-like, and variously shaped leaves. Such cases difer 

 but little from the so-called heterophyllus varieties, in which \\e 

 tree habitually bears leaves of various forms; but it is probaile 

 that most heterophyllous trees have originated as seedlings. Thre 

 is a sub-variety of the weeping willow with leaves rolled up iito 

 a spiral coil ; and Mr. Masters states that a tree of this kind k»pt 

 true in his garden for twenty-five years, and then threw out a single 

 upright shoot bearing flat Icaves.'^^ 



I have often noticed single twigs and branches on beech and 

 other trees with their leaves fully expanded before those on tlie 

 other branches had opened; and as there was nothing in their 

 exposure or character to account for this difference, I presume that 

 they had appeared as bud-variations, like the early and late fruit- 

 maturing varieties of the peach and nectarine. 



Cryptogamic plants are liable to bud-variation, for fronds on 

 the same fern often display remarkable deviations of structure. 

 Spores, which are of the nature of buds, taken from such abnormal 

 fronds, reproduce, with remarkable fideUty, the same variety, at'tei 

 passing through the sexual stage."* 



Witii respect to colour, leaves often become by bud-variation 

 zonedj blotched, or spotted with white, yellow, and red; and thi^ 



8» 'Des VarieteVl865, p. 5. tution Lecture,' March 16, 1860. 



" W. Mason, in ' Gard. Chron.,' " ^ee Mr. W. K. Bridgman's curious 



1843, p. 878. paper in 'Annals and Mag. of Nat. 



6= Alex. Braun, 'Ray Soc. Bot. Hist.,' December, 1861; also M>-. .). 



Mem ,' 1853, p. 315 ; ' Gard. Chron ,' Scott, ' Bot. Soc. Edinburgh,' June 12, 



It5-H, p. 329. 1862. 



63 Dr. M. T. Masters, ' Royal Insti- 



