44 Observations on the Dahlia 



dace a perfect seed than an imperfect one ; that is, one ca- 

 pable of continuing' an accidental and phj^siolosrically consid- 

 ered nioMStroiis development of petals instead of stamens. 



After severiil attempts to reduce to species the different 

 varieties of this flower, each botanist and cultivator adopting 

 some trifling character, founded on the form of the leaves, 

 or color of the flower, De Candolle discovered that the es- 

 sential distinctions consisted in the absence or presence of 

 fertile florets in the ray, and termed, in the second edition 

 of Hortus Kewensis^ superJiiM and frmtrdnea. Mr. Sabine re- 

 duces under the two following species of De Candolle the 

 several synonyms, as quoted from the Hortus Kevvensis : 



1. Y)k\\\ia superjiua^ caule non pruinoso, flosculis radii fce- 

 mineis. 



2. Dahlia /rws/ranea, caule pruinoso, flosculis radii neutris. 

 {HoH. Kew., ed. 2, Vol. v, pp. 87—88.) 



By this arrangement it will be perceived that two species 

 are formed, the first with "smooth stem, and fertile florets 

 in the ray;" and the second with a pubescent or "hoary 

 stem, and barren florets in the ray." 



How far this arrangement has been observed, I have little 

 means of determining. Loudon, in his Hortus Britannicus, 

 gives a catalogue of sixty varieties of D. superjiiia^ and only 

 five o{ frustrdnea. But even with the characteristic differ- 

 ences which Sabine lays down, as to the coarseness of fol- 

 iage and difl'useness of habit in snperjlna, and the delicacy, 

 compactness and erect manner of ijrowth in frustrdnea, I very 

 much doubt whether in this country it would be easy to de- 

 tect the species in the astonishing varieties of our gardens. 

 It is almost certain that color would afford no test, although 

 the orii^cinal color was referable to purple in the former, and 

 that of orange or scarlet in the latter. Still more \mcertain 

 the downiness or pubescence of the stems, which, though 

 more or less observable in all, does not seem to constitute a 

 permanent character. A series of experiments shoidd be 

 instituted, in order to endeavor to trace any observance of 

 this specific difference of De Candolle, in the seedlings of 

 our double varieties ; and also whether, in this instance, 

 unobserved, a real hybridizing process has not taken place 

 between the two supposed genuine species. 



It may be deemed presuiriptuous to seemingly question 

 the authority of such celebrated names ; but it must appear 

 an important, and surely therefore a harmless inquiry, espe- 

 cially when we consider the tendency to confusion in such a 

 myriad host of abnormal individuals, as our catalogues of 

 the varieties of dahlias present. I trust, therefore, to the 

 candor of discriminating minds, that nothing but a deep in- 

 terest in the cause of scientific truth could for a moment 



