ON POPPIES 



changed from yellow to crimson would seem to 

 suggest that the latter color lies but slightly sub- 

 merged, if the expression be permitted, in the 

 hereditary stream, ready to come to the surface 

 if the thin overlaying current of yellow can be 

 removed. 



Another illustration of the linking of yellow 

 and crimson in the hereditary scheme of the pop- 

 pies is given by an experiment in which I crossed 

 two distinct species of poppy, one having flowers 

 of pale yellow, the other pure white. 



The hybrids without exception bore flowers of 

 a clear crimson color. There was not a white one 

 nor a yellow one among them. 



Another interesting color modification in the 

 case of the poppy was that which produced the 

 so-called silver lining poppy. In this case I dis- 

 covered a flower in which there was a white line 

 between the black center and the crimson petal. 

 This line was widened by selection until the petal 

 was white with black center, the white extending 

 just over the outer edge of the petal, the rest of the 

 back of the flower being crimson. 



It may be interesting to recall in this connection 

 a series of experiments in which the only true 

 California poppy (Papaver Calif ornica) was mod- 

 ified by selection, working with a live petaled 

 sport, until a variety was produced that had six 



[123] 



