232 Retrograde Varieties 



the distinguishing quality in some varieties. It 

 is of general occurrence, though often over- 

 looked. Many white varieties of colored flow- 

 ers give striking instances, and so do also many 

 of the most stable and most prized garden-flow- 

 ers. If you look at them separately or in lit- 

 tle bouquets they seem to be of irreproachable 

 purity. But if you examine large beds a pale 

 hue- will become visible. In many cases this 

 tinge is so slight as to be only noticeable in a 

 certain illumination, or by looking in an oblique 

 direction across the bed ; in others it is at once 

 evident as soon as it has been pointed out. It 

 always reminds the observer of the color of 

 the species to which the variety belongs, being 

 bluish in violets and harebells, reddish in 

 godetias and phloxes, in Silene Armeria and 

 many others. It proves that the original color- 

 quality of the species has not wholly, but only 

 partly disappeared. It is dormant, but not en- 

 tirely obliterated; latent, but not totally con- 

 cealed; inactive, but only partially so. Our 

 terminology is an awkward one; it practically 

 assumes, as it so often does in other cases, a 

 conventional understanding, not exactly cor- 

 responding to the simple meaning of the words. 

 But it would be cumbrous to speak always of 

 partial inactivity, incomplete latency or half 

 awakening qualities. Even such words as sub- 



