M. Ch. Naiidiu on Hyhridity in Plants. 227 



bly from that which is obtained from the species B ferti- 

 lised by the species A ? I cannot deny this in an absohite 

 manner ; it would be necessary to see the hybrid which 

 induced M. Klotzsch to make this statement ; but I can 

 assert, that all the mutual hybrids which I have obtained, as 

 well between allied species as between distant ones, resembled 

 one another as much as if they proceeded from the same 

 crossing. I have already pointed this out wdien speaking 

 oi Datura Stramonio'Tatula and TatulO'Stramonium, Nico- 

 tiana paniculato-rustica and rustico-panicidata, N. angusti- 

 folio-macTopliyUa and macropliyllo-angustifolia, N. texano- 

 rustica, and riisttco-texana, N. persico-Langsdorffii, &c. ; 

 without doubt it may not be always so, but if the fact is 

 true, it must be rare, and considered more as the exception 

 than the rule. 



All hybridologists are agreed that hybrids (and it always 

 applies to hybrids of the first generation), are mixed forms, 

 intermediate between two parent species. And this is really 

 what does take place in the great majority of cases ; but it 

 by no means follows that these intermediate forms are 

 always at an equal distance between the two species. On 

 the contrary, it is often observed that they are frequently 

 much nearer one than the other. Besides, we may conceive, 

 that the appreciation of these relations is always a little 

 vague, and that it is the idea which determines it. We may 

 also remark that hybrids resemble sometimes one of the 

 two species in one character, whilst they resemble the 

 other in another character. This is very true, and we have 

 seen an example in Mirabilis longiJioro-Jalapa, which is dis- 

 tinctly more like M. longiflom in the organs of vegetation, 

 and M. Jalapa in the flowers. But I think it is wrong to 

 refer this distribution to the part which the species have 

 played as father or mother in the crossing whence the 

 hybrid has arisen. At least I have not seen anything which 

 confirms this opinion. 



M. Eegel asserts {Die Pflanze und ilir Lehen, &c., p. 404, 

 et suiv.), that when the hybrid proceeds from species of dif- 

 ferent genera, their flowers bear the essential characters of 

 those of the father ; but we have seen in the Datura cerato- 

 caulo-Sframonucm, proceeding from two nearly generically 



