Sex-limited inheritance in Lychnis diuica L. 



269 



In the normal or "<?/j9/('«"-forms of Lychnis dioiea, the only obvious 

 difference between the rosette-leaves and the stem-leaves, is the rapid 

 disappearance of the petioles of the latter, but in angustifolia the very first 

 stem-leaf is noticeably wider than the rosette-leaves, and this widening 

 is more marked in the successive leaves, until they are of about the 

 same width as the corresponding leaves in the broad-leafed forms, but 

 these broad stem -leaves of angustifolia are still usually distinguishable 

 from the corresjjonding leaves of the normal plants, because of their 

 long-acuminate apexes (see Plate II). 



10 11 12 



Fig. 2. Curves showing the variation in length of rudimentary ovaries in the males of 

 typical Lychnis dioiea (at left) and of L. dioiea angustifolia belonging to the same families. 

 The curves are so drawn as to represent the relative variability of the two groups of 

 variates. Coefficients of variation: "typica". 30!)7 ± 0"ö7; angustifolia, 19-08 + 0'34. 

 The ranges of average lengths in the several families are indicated by the braces below 

 the two curves. 



The floral characters of angustifolia are variable, as in the "typica"- 

 races, so that they can not be taken as definitely diagnostic, but they 

 show certain characteristic tendencies which (Reserve mention. It will 

 be remembered that the ordinary Lychnis petal has a median cleft of 

 greater or less depth; this cleft is very often absent from the petals of 

 angustifolia. The petals are as a rule smaller and narrower, and in place 

 of the cleft there is frequently a greenish line of virescent tissue, wliich, 

 in the most marked cases, extends beyond the white part of the petal, 

 forming a spine-like apiculation. Tlie e.xtent to which these virescent lines 

 are developed is characteristic of particular individuals, but whether the 

 differences between different individuals in this retrard may be made 



