THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
residents they have been introduced for a long time, prob- 
ably ever since '4:9.~IV. Scott Lewis, Los Angeles, Cal. 
Pedigree of the Evening Primrose.— The evening 
primrose {Oenothera)m2.y not belong to the most aristo- 
cratic of floral families, but, owing to its usefulness in ex- 
emplifying the mutation theory of the origin of species, the 
pedigree of certain specimens may be traced back for a great- 
er distance than that of other flowers. Some have a known 
pedigree, extending back for twenty years, at least ten gen- 
Making New Species.— It has been found by Dr. D. 
T. MacDougal that the injection of various substances into 
the ovary of certain plants will cause the seed in the re- 
sulting capsule to produce plants unlike the parent in one 
or more respects. It may therefore be questioned whether 
the "sports" that sometimes occur among large numbers of 
seedlings may not be due to some injury to the ovary while 
the seed was forming. If the character of the plant can be 
influenced by stimulation of the ovar}% some wonderful pos- 
sibilities seem within our grasp. 
V^iTALiTY OF Catalpa. — In the January number of 
Arboriculture there is a photograph of a long line of ca- 
talpa trees that have originated from fence posts. The 
posts were set with the bark on and immediately sprouted. 
At present the sprouts are much larger than the original 
posts. The same magazine is authority for the statement 
that such sprouting is a common occurrence with this species. 
Hitching posts, props, and the posts under the foundations 
of houses when made of this wood are likely to produce 
new trees. One may thus grow two new fence posts while 
the original is wearing out, a unique idea in forestry. 
