Taxonomic Anomalies 677 



cases already alluded to. But this of course 

 makes no real difference. The character is 

 variable to a high degree, and this fact indicates 

 its varietal nature, though it should be recalled 

 that at least with the Helivingia, the majority of 

 the leaves are destitute of flowers, and that in 

 this way some degree of variability is present 

 in this normal case too. 



All in all there are three sorts of " Nepaul- 

 barley." They have the same varietal mark, 

 but belong to different species of barley. These 

 are differentiated according to the number of 

 the rows in which the grains are seen on the 

 spikes. These numbers may be two, four or six, 

 giving rise to the specific names of Hordeum dis- 

 tichum, tetrastichum and hexastichum. Whether 

 these three varieties are of independent, but 

 parallel origin, or are to be considered as due to 

 a single mutation and subsequent crosses is not 

 known, all of them being of ancient origin. 

 Historic evidence concerning their birth is 

 wholly wanting. From analogy it would seem 

 probable that the character had arisen by a mu- 

 tation in one of the three named species, and 

 had been transferred to others by means of ac- 

 cidental crosses, even as it has been artificially 

 transmitted of late to quite a number of other 

 sorts. But however admissible this conception 

 may seem, there is of course no real objection 



