HYBRIDISING AND CROSS-BREEDING. 97 



more irregular pollen than species. Gaertner remarks that the 

 anthers of all fertile hybrids, as Nicotiana rustica-paniculata, 

 Malva mauritiana-sylvestris, Aquilegia atropurpurea-canadensis, 

 Lychnis diurna-vespertina, have larger and smaller pollen -grains 

 mixed in different proportions, beside small grains of very vari- 

 able size and form, some curiously elongated, some shrivelled, 

 others mere dry sacs, the latter form being especially the case 

 with the less fertile hybrids a fact also observed by Koelreuter, 

 who observes that the increased luxuriance of many hybrids 

 arises from the fact that they are sterile, the weakness or impo- 

 tence of the generative organs in luxuriant hybrids inducing an 

 increase of vegetative growth. 



" Sometimes nature produces offspring of extraordinary pro- 

 portions from parents of ordinary characteristics. How this 

 happens whether from peculiar temperature and high culti- 

 vation causing redundant vigour and power at the time of 

 fecundation, or from what other cause we are not yet able to 

 determine. An instance of this kind is to be seen in the 

 Camellia Floyii, an American seedling whose gigantic habit, 

 and large and thick foliage, are without a parallel in the whole 

 tribe ; and what renders this the more remarkable is the fact 

 that when this variety was raised from seed by Mr Floy 

 about sixty years since, there were not ten varieties of the 

 Camellia in the United States, to none of which have we 

 been able to trace its genitive origin. From a cross by this 

 Camellia was produced Camellia President Clarke, which 

 inherits many characteristics of the parent. In fruits we find 

 the same augmentation in the size of progeny from parents of 

 common size. Beurre Clairgeau Pear, so large and beautiful, 

 is without doubt from the seed of Beurre Capiaumont; the 

 Northern Spy Apple, so magnificent in proportions and beauty, 

 from the Red Nonsuch or old Canada Red. Both these seed- 

 lings are of unusual vigour and beauty, and from whatever im- 

 pregnation they may have arisen, they furnish evidence of the 

 power of nature sometimes to produce without the aid of man 

 varieties of great excellence." (See Marshall P. Wilder's Ad- 

 dress to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Feb. 7, 1872.) 



Bud Variation dr Sports. As we have already observed, 

 hybrid plants, or the seminal offspring of two distinct that is, 

 different species as parents, are practical truths or facts ; and 

 in many cases, were their hybrid origin unknown, no botanist 

 would hesitate to describe them as new species. Indeed this 

 has already been done in one or two cases, and notably in the 

 case of Imantophyllum cyrtanthiflorum. Not that the botanist 

 is to be blamed for these little oversights, he having in many 



