THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. XLY October, 1911 No. 538 



MUTATION IN (ENOTHERA 

 DR. R. R. GATES 

 Introductory 



I have been for some time interested in tracing the 

 history of the various species and races of (En<>th< >a 

 from the early records of their introduction into Europe. 

 This method is accompanied with manv difiimlti.- 

 which only those know who have attempted it. Con- 

 clusions which seem justified in the light of the data 



records are examined. * In a previous note in Science 

 ('10), and especially in a longer paper since pub- 



lished, I have brought together much of the data on 

 which our knowledge of the early introduction of these 

 forms into cultivation must rest. 1 Since that time I 

 have been able to supplement those data by an examina- 

 tion of further records, and particularly of some of the 

 type specimens of these plants in European herbaria. 

 These have confirmed some of my previous conclusions 

 and necessitated modifications of others. Herbarium 

 specimens, where available, are of course the final court 

 of appeal concerning the characters of any plant, but 



oven entirely lacking. My examination shows that prob- 

 ably a number of (Enothera races existed two or three 



