Unbalanced Crosses 259 



direction of the other parent are not wanting, 

 and in winter the leaves of the hvbrid rosettes 

 are often much narrower than those of 0. bien- 

 nis, and easily distinguishable from both par- 

 ents. A third distinction consists in the den- 

 sity of the spike. The distance between the in- 

 sertion of the flowers of 0. biennis is great when 

 compared with that of 0. muricata. Hence the 

 flowers of the latter species are more crowded 

 and those of 0. biennis more dispersed, the 

 spikes of the first being densely crowned with 

 flowers and flower-buds while those of 0. biennis 

 are more elongated and slender. As a further 

 consequence the 0. biennis opens on the same 

 evening only one, two or three flowers on the 

 same spike, whereas 0. muricata bears often 

 eight or ten or more flowers at a time. In this 

 respect the hybrid is similar to the pistil-parent, 

 and the crowding of the broad flowers at the 

 top of the spikes causes the hybrids to be much 

 more showy than either of the parent types. 



Other distinguishing marks are not recorded 

 by the systematists, or are not so sharply sepa- 

 rated as to allow of the corresponding qualities 

 of the hybrids being compared with them. 



This hybrid remains true to the description 

 given. In some years I cultivated two gener- 



