ON POPPIES 



But the actual conditions are probably a little 

 more complex even than here suggested. The 

 smoky character of the blue poppies, especially in 

 their earlier forms, seemed to suggest the presence 

 of a factor for blackness. And, indeed, the fact 

 that black pigment constantly tends to appear in 

 the poppies shows how potent an influence this is. 

 So, when the entire hereditary color scheme of the 

 poppies is untangled, it will probably be found 

 that there are dominant factors for red and yellow 

 and black and blue corresponding more or less to 

 the yellow and gray and black and chocolate pig- 

 ments of the coat of the mouse; and that these are 

 mutually dependent on one another in an intricate 

 fashion, the full explication of which would give 

 us a far clearer comprehension of the mysteries 

 of the color transformation in the poppy and in 

 other flowers than anyone can claim to have at 

 present. 



It is because of the new light they throw on 

 this problem that experiments that led to the pro- 

 duction of a blue poppy seem to have unusual 

 interest and importance. But long series of addi- 

 tional experiments involving much expense and 

 many discouragements will be necessary before 

 the exact relations of the different pigments in the 

 poppy, or in any other flower, will be fully 

 understood. 



[133] 



