OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OF THE PLANTS EXHIBITED. Ill 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OF THE PLANTS EXHIBITED. 

 By Rev. Prof. G. Henslow, M.A., &c. 

 [January 29, 1901.] 



Greenhouse Rhododendrons. — The selection of blossoms exhibited 

 by Mr. Veitch included numerous hybrids, of which the following were 

 selected for remarks. The two original species from which the whole 

 series sprang were B. jasminiflomm (white), having a long tube and 

 narrow border, somewhat resembling the flower of the jessamine, hence 

 its name, and a larger flowered species, B. javanicum. This is orange 

 with a short tube and broad rim. 



The first result obtained was a rose-coloured " Princess Royal " and 

 a sister-hybrid, the dark crimson " carminatum." On re-crossing the 

 former with B. jas. the offspring was the large-flowered pure white 

 " Princess Alexandra." Thus, by crossing "orange " with "white," first 

 the yellow was exterminated and finally the red. 



Other species were now introduced, crimson and yellow flowered. By 

 the aid of these some hundreds of hybrids and subsequent crosses were 

 obtained, many of which were shown. Thus the " Cloth of Gold" has 

 the following genealogy : — 



R. jasminiflorum (white) x R. javanicum (orange). 



Princess Royal (pink) x R. Brookeanum (pale yellow). 



Duchess of Teck (crimson) x R. javanicum (orange). 



Lord Wolseley (red orange) x R. Teysmanni (golden yellow). 



Cloth of Gold (pure yellow). 



This is therefore a hybrid of the fourth generation, containing four true 

 species and one (B. jav.) twice. This example will give some idea of the 

 perseverance and skill of Mr. Heal, the raiser of them on Messrs. Veitch's 

 establishment. 



Another feature was shown in the prepotency of some species ; thus, 

 when a large-flowered hybrid was crossed with the very small-flowered 

 B. malayanum, the offspring partook of the form and colour of the latter, 

 being only a little larger. 



This now well-known feature among the results of hybridisation, viz., 

 that the oftspring entirely resembles one or other parent, has been called 

 by the French " false hybridisation." It means that while the parents 

 can give rise to perfect oftspring, yet one is so prepotent that the hybrid 

 progeny exhibits no perceptible sign whatever of the other. 



A new hybrid was also shown between the species B. Javanicum and 

 B. Teysmanni, having very fine trusses of golden-yellow flowers, showing 

 how the " red" out of the orange colour of the second parent was com- 

 pletely suppressed. It was appropriately named " King Edward VII." 



