226 JOUKNAL OF THE EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



m — pedicels short (less M — pedicels long (12 to 18 inches). 



than three inches). 



n — flowers few (5 to N — flowers many (17 to 40). 



13). 



p — whitish or blush- P- — purple-red to brick-red above, 

 pink above. 



Fruit. q — spherical. Q — bull-headed and lobate. 



r — seeds semi-trans- B — seeds green, opaque, 

 parent, pearly white 

 or rosy. 



s — reaches flowering S — reaches flowering stage in 

 stage in England in England after 25 years or more, 

 about 6 years. 



In these 17 divergent characters the hybrid followed the male in 1 only, 



the female in no less than 11, and was equipoised in the remaining 

 5 characters. The formula is — 



abcd^-fGhjk U™MnN P P Qrs * 



This hybrid is fertile, and I have twice raised self -fertilized seeds upon 

 it, and have seedling plants now growing none of which show any great 

 divergence from the hybrid type in their bulbs pr leaves. 



In examining the hybrid characters in which the blood of the male 

 parent is evident, it so happens that in most of them the only evidence is 

 in increased size and in number of flowers : just those characters that 

 are influenced in so many cases by generous treatment and the appearance 

 of which do not necessarily presuppose hybridization. Again colour is 

 often variable, and much depends upon the structure and temperature 

 in which the plants are grown. So that the only strong evidence in 

 favour of hybrid origin is in the changed structure of the umbel, which 

 has become regular instead of irregular. Hence Mr. Baker did not feel 

 justified in citing this plant as of hybrid origin when it was first 

 presented for determination at Kew. Moreover, at that time much 

 uncertainty surrounded the traditionary origin of the plant, and no 

 authority could be traced for any definite parentage. But since then 

 evidence has been gradually accumulating. The two genera have been 

 recently crossed in at least three different gardens — and not only so, 

 but the reverse cross has also been made by Messrs. Van Tubergen, 

 junior, of Haarlem, and has produced a not very dissimilar hybrid. 

 All that now remains to be done is to analyse the second generation 

 of self-fertilized hybrids so as to determine the mutations. 



* As all the individuals I have seen in flower are presumably offsets from one 

 plant, there is practically no variation from this formula among them. But doubtless 

 the formula will vary in other individual hybrids. 



