Origin of Peloric Toadflaac 479 



that they might belong to the supposed opposite 

 types, and thus be fertile with one another. 



My peloric plants are still available, and the 

 occurrence of this form elsewhere would give 

 material for a successful experiment. The 

 probability thereof is enhanced by the experi- 

 ence that my peloric plants bear large capsules 

 and a rich harvest of seeds when fertilized from 

 plants of the normal one-spurred race, while 

 they remain nearly wholly barren by artificial 

 fertilization with others. I suppose that they 

 are infertile with the normal toad-flaxes of their 

 own sexual disposition, but fertile with those of 

 the opposite constitution. At all events the 

 fact that they may bear abundant seed when 

 properly pollinated is an indication of success- 

 ful experiments on the possibility of gaining a 

 hereditary race with exclusively peloric flowers. 

 And such a race would be a distinct gain for 

 sundry physiologic inquiries, and perhaps not 

 wholly destitute of value from an horticultural 

 point of view. 



Eeturning now to the often recorded occur- 

 rence of peloric toad-flaxes in the wild state and 

 recalling our discussion about the improb- 

 ability of a dispersion from one locality to 

 another by seed, and the probability of inde- 

 pendent origin for most of these cases, we are 

 confronted with the conception that a latent 



