Studies of Teratological Phenomena. 95 



5 ovary -locules, while another may be altered from the normal 402 

 condition by having 10 sepals, 10 petals, 12 stamens and 4 ovary- 

 locules. 



One type, such as Table 4, gives the frequency distribution of 

 floral parts (sepals, petals, stamens, etc.) per flower, and shows the 

 fluctuation of the character fas elation per plant in a whole family. 

 The second type of table such as No. 3 disregards the individual plant 

 entirely, and gives the frequency distribution of the number of parts 

 per flower and leaves per plant for the family as a whole. The first 

 type is especially useful in comparing the individual inconstancy of the 

 character in two different races. The second is only valuable as a 

 basis for the comparison of the average variation of different races. 

 In order to show the variation in the organs of a single plant, when 

 affected by fasciation, tables of records of typical individuals have been 

 used (See White 1913, pp. 212—13). The race 402 is at all times 

 accepted as the normal, and a basis for comparison as to what con- 

 stitutes an abnormal Nicotiana tabaeum deviation. 



3. Fasciation and Environment. 



In order to study accurately the manner of the inheritance of a 

 "somatic" character, it is first necessary to thoroughly understand its 

 reaction toward its particular environment, and this is especially true 

 of such a character as fasciation, as has been repeatedly emphasized 

 by de Vries, Knight (1822) and a host of seedsmen and florists. 

 De Vries found the influence of conditions surrounding the parent seed 

 plant to be a factor that must always be taken into consideration in 

 studying anomalies. In his work, plump seeds gave the plant a better 

 start in life and as nutriment and good care are very essential to 

 producing large fasciations, such seeds, he says, should be selected. 

 Seed from branches favorably situated should produce more anomalies 

 than seed from 'poorer' flowers and weaker branches (considering the 

 latter to be atavistic or more normal structures), but in his experimental 

 work, this expectation bore but little fruit. 



De Vries has very often called attention to the relation between 

 plant vigor and the production of anomalous variations, — "the stronger 

 a branch is, the more liable it is to flatten out". Biennials and 

 perennials when allowed to fasciate the first year gave but very small 

 expressions, and in some cases, a heritable race would show no sign 

 of its fasciated character. On the other hand, high percentages of 



