208 Atkinson. 



emargiiiate, eroded, plicate, wilting early. Pods long-, somewhat distant 

 forming a loose spike. Fertility, sterile when selfed. Plant flowering 

 for a long period and maturing late. 



Oe. hyhrida pycnella. An Fi segregate, the vegetative characters 

 sorted from those of both parents. Habit, medium, ^U — 1,5 m; lower 

 branches reaching far above the middle height of main stem, somewhat 

 irregularly spreading, tips at unequal height, main stem with rather low 

 overtop. Autumnal rosettes compact, the larger leaves broad, sinuate 

 toothed over basal portion, furrowed, repand, white veined or veins tinged 

 pink, plain or somewhat buckled, red spots in late autumn often appear. 

 Stems green, tubercles green. Stem leaves broad somewhat furrowed, 

 mid veins white or tinged red. Inflorescence medium length, dense 

 or rather loose, bracts green, about as in pycnocarpa, persistent. Petals 

 exactly as in pycnocarpa, lemon yellow, cuneate, emarginate, not eroded, 

 not plicate, firm, wilting late. Fertility very high. Plant maturing 

 early. 



Oe. hyhrida tortuosa. An Fi segregate, the vegetative characters 

 sorted from those of both parents. Habit, tall, 1 — 2 m, lower branches 

 reaching a little above the middle of the main stem, strict or somewhat 

 curved, tips nearly of equal height, main stem with high overtop. Au- 

 tumnal rosettes compact; larger leaves narrow, cut over the basal half, 

 convex, strongly crinkled (being narrow they are thus often more or less 

 twisted) red veined, not repand, red spots late in autumn. Stems red, 

 tubercles red. Stem leaves broad, convex, directed strongly downward, 

 red veined, strongly toothed over the base. Inflorescence dense, 

 bracts small, caducous, Petals exactly as in 7iutans, chrome yellow, 

 oboval, not or slightly emarginate, edge eroded, plicate, wilting early. 

 Pods dense, smooth. Fertility very high. Plants maturing late. 



The rosettes must be well developed in order to distinguish the 

 differential characters with certainty, but when they are well developed 

 there is no difficulty whatever in distinguishing the three types*) Fig. 4). 



^) The plants were not grown in large enough numbers to determiDe whether 

 or not there is any regularity in the ratios of the different hybrid types appearing in 

 the first generation. In the cross nutans X pycnocarpa (1913 culture) there were 108 

 plants in the garden culture. Of tbese 35 were annual nutella, and 10 were annual 

 pycnella. There were 63 whicli formed autumnal rosettes, 27 nutella, 24 pycnella and 

 22 tortuosa. Of the reciprocal cross (pycnocarpa X nutans) only 61 plants were grown 

 in the garden. Of these 4 were annual nutella, 9 were annual pycnella. There were 

 38 which formed autumnal rosettes, 36 pycnella and 2 nutella. 



