178 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLI. No. 1048 



ters, and selection tends to develop fixity of type, 

 tbougli the range of variation may at first be 

 even higher than that of the parent types. 



Inheritable Variations in the Yellow Daisy (Bud- 

 hecJcia hirta) : Albert F. Blakesleb. 

 Variations in the following characters have been 

 found in the wild yellow daisy: absence of rays 

 and their presence in rather definite numbers 

 from 8 to 30 and to perfectly double forms; 

 width of rays; diameter of head from 1 to 5 J 

 inches; color of rays from pale straw color to deep 

 orange; relative intensity of color in inner half of 

 ray forming a lighter or darker ring; different 

 intensities of mahogany color at base of ray on 

 upper side; mahogany on under side of ray; con- 

 striction of ray at tip, at middle, or at base — - 

 those constricted at tip either rolled in or rolled 

 out to give the "cactus" type seen in Dahlias — 

 those constricted at base without change in color 

 or characterized by lighter color or by presence of 

 black pigment on constricted areas; transforma- 

 tion of rays into tubes giving "quilled" type; 

 the position of rays, bending upward, horizontal, 

 reflexed, straight or variously twisted; the shape 

 and size of disk; the color of disk from yellowish 

 green through several grades of purple to almost 

 black; vegetative characters such as height, 

 branching, size and shape of leaf, fasciations, etc. 

 Evidence from the distribution of the variants 

 in nature and from their reappearance in sowings 

 from open-pollinated heads shows that most, if not 

 all, these variations are inherited. The basal 

 splash of mahogany on the ray seems to be in- 

 herited as a simple Mendelian dominant. Other 

 characters are being investigated. 



Bud Variations in Coleus: A. B. Stout. 



The phenomena of bud variation in Coleus and 

 the behavior of pedigreed plants of vegetative 

 propagation illustrate, in the case of red pigmen- 

 tation, most clearly the behavior of a metidentioal 

 character, and show equally well that the distribu- 

 tion of colors in patterns is epigenetic in nature, 

 and is, without doubt, due to physical and chem.- 

 ical processes quite analogous to the Liesegang 

 precipitation phenomena by which Gebhardt re- 

 produced in a most strikiag manner certain mark- 

 ings that occur in the wings of butterflies. 



Plants propagated vegetatively through six gen- 

 erations developed two types of changes: (1) 

 fluctuations and (2) muta:tions. Although the 

 different patterns which arose were remarkably 

 constant in vegetative propagation, each exhibited 

 further changes in the epigenetic development and 



distribution of the red pigmentation. The phe- 

 nomena associated with the appearance and sub- 

 sequenli behavior of the different bud variations 

 are quite similar to the phenomena of variation, 

 mutation and alternative inheritance in a seed 

 progeny of hybrid origin. 



The Morphology of the CEnothera Flower: George 



Harrison Shull. 



The hypanthium of CEnothera and other Ona- 

 graeeous genera is usually described in taxonomie 

 works as a " calyx-tube. ' ' In one of my hybrid 

 (Enotheras a complete series of transitional stages 

 was presented, connecting the normal type of 

 flower, sessile with a long hypanthium, with pedi- 

 cellate flowers wholly lacking a hypanthium. This 

 indicates that the hypanthium is of cauline nature. 



The Morphology and Systematic Position of Podo- 



mitrium: D. H. Campbell. 



The genus Podomitrium comprises two species, 

 P. phyllanthus from the Australasian region, and 

 P. Malaccense, which has hitherto been reported 

 only from Singapore and New Caledonia. The 

 writer collected the latter species in Borneo and 

 the Philippines. 



Podomitrium malaccense closely resembles in 

 appearance a Blythia, and sterile plants are indis- 

 tinguishable. The position of the reproductive 

 organs of the former, in special ventral branches, 

 at once distinguishes it from Blythia. 



The anatomy of the thallus, as well as the form 

 of the apical cell, is practically identical in 

 Podomitrium and Blythia. 



The antheridia in Podomitrium are borne on 

 special ventral shoots. In structure, and in the 

 scales covering them, they most nearly resemble 

 Morhia or Calycularia. 



The archegonia are also borne in special shoots. 

 The arehegonial receptacle is very much like that 

 of Blythia. The embryo is much like that of 

 Blythia or Symphyogyna, but the basal appendage 

 (haustorium) is somewhat less developed. 



The fully developed sporophyli closely resembles 

 that of Blythia, from which it differs in the more 

 clearly marked foot, and in the presence of a over- 

 well developed apical elaterophore. The spores, 

 in size and surface sculpturing, are hardly distin- 

 guishable from Blythia radiculosa. 



On the whole, Podomitrium seems to be more 

 nearly related to Blythia than to Melzgeria, with 

 which it is usually associated. This study of 

 Podomitrium confirms the view that there is no 

 certain distinction to be drawn between the fam- 

 ilies AneuracesB and Blythiacese. 



