A. W. Hill 



Flower Colour. 



For the first few years after its introduction, as has been shown, the 

 flower colour is always recorded as pale or undecided lilac (Plate I, 

 figs. 1, 2) or pinkish-white but references to the variable character of 

 the plant are frequent. In 1886 there is a record of plants from the 

 Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, with blooms " ranging from mauve to 

 lilac and frequently pure whiter" "N. G." in the following year refers to 

 the variability in flower colour and speaks of a few nearly white forms'. 

 In the same note, it is mentioned that " we have observed in two or 

 three of the plants this year a much deeper shade of rose round the eye 

 than previously." This appears to be the earliest record of the 

 appearance of the dark eye which was only found in a few cases among 

 a batch of ordinary forms. The next record of the dark eye is in 1889 

 when "R. D." (Richard Dean) writes "The variety I have is of a very 

 delicate mauve colour, with a slight purple ring round the eye'." In 

 1893 mention is again made of a distinct circle of a dark colour 

 surrounding a lemon eye and the lemon eye itself is recorded as a 

 novelty*. A "dark carmine shaded eye" is also mentioned in a note in 

 1895' and a "distinct eye" in the following year*. 



The "dark eye" is now a very common feature in many of the 

 present day forms and the depth of the colour of the eye tends to in- 

 crease as the flowers remain open (cf. Plate I, figs. 8 and 17, Plate II, 

 figs. 27, 30, 32, 34). 



White variety. The white variety to which references have 

 already been given does not receive further mention in horticultural 

 journals until the year 1896. In that year Messrs Vilmorin Andrieux 

 et Cie" of Paris exhibited "P. ohconica a grande fleur blanche" at the 

 meeting of the French Horticultural Society, on Feb. 27th. This form 

 had fimbriated petals. A pure white form was shown again, together 

 \vith coloured varieties before the same Society by Messrs Vilmorin 

 on May 2nd 1899', and was catalogued by Messrs Vilmorin in that year 

 under the name "P. o. grande fleur blanche pur." 



» T. W. Sanders in Joum. Hort. May 6, 1886, pp. 358, 359, with fig. 66. 



* "N. G." in Joum. Hort. May 26, 1887. 



» "B. D." in Gard. Chron. November 2, 1889, p. 504. 



* "A. D." in The Garden, October 7, 1893, p. 327. 



* J. C. Tallack in The Garden, AprU 6, 1895, p. 240. 

 « The Garden, December 12, 1896, p. 481. 



' Rev. Hort. 1896, p. 238. 



» Bev. Hort. 1899, p. 169, "A cdte descoloris rose et blanc pur...". 



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