NOTES ON THE GENETICS OF TEUCRIUM 

 SCORODONIA CRISPUM (STANSFIELD). 



By M. C. RAYNER, D.Sc. 



(With Plate X.) 



An interesting variety of the common " Wood-sage " came into my 

 possession some years ago and has since been crossbred with typical 

 plants of the species in order to investigate the genetic behaviour of the 

 varietal leaf characters. 



The results of these experiments are recorded in the present note 

 which is preliminary to a more detailed account of the structural 

 peculiarities and behaviour of the plant. 



The type species, Teucrium Scorodonia L., the " Wood-sage " or " Ger- 

 mander," is a common plant, especially of dry open woods, commons and 

 heaths, locally abundant but often absent from certain areas. The 

 leaves are variable as to size, details of shape and incision ; two charac- 

 teristic examples are figured in Plate X, fig. 1. A variety, Teucrium 

 Scorodonia dentatum Bab., with deeply cut leaves, is recorded but does 

 not appear to be common. 



The variety under discussion, recorded as Teucrium Scorodonia cris- 

 pum (Stansfield) is of rather more compact habit than the species, the 

 leaves are broader and blunter and the leaf margins are characteristically 

 " crisped " or " crested " as shown in the photograph (Plate X, fig. 2). 



The inflorescences, flowers and fruits resemble those of T. Scorodonia. 



The variety is very distinct and is of some interest for taxonomic 

 reasons, inasmuch as there appears to be no previous record of such a 

 form of Teucrium in this country, nor have I noticed any tendency 

 towards leaf variations of this kind in wild plants in localities where the 

 plant is abundant. The deviation from type is quite clean and well- 

 marked in the variety and I have not been able to find a reference to a 



