56 Correlation between Somatic Characters and Fertility 
fore composed chiefly of the late fruits from ordinary individuals or of the fruits 
of late-flowering plants. Considering the results obtained from other species of 
Hibiscus, I think these facts throw no doubt on the conclusions stated in this 
paper, but they must be borne in mind by anyone considering the data as estab- 
lishing a " place mode " for the species. 
Altogether 595 fruits were available for countings of the number of bracts, 
number of sepals and number of seeds maturing per locule. Of the 595 involucres 
only 29 were noted as at all abnormal : in all of these two adjoining bractlets 
seemed slightly grown together at the base. 
Table I shows the correlation between the number of bracts and the number 
of seeds developing in the five individual locules. I find 
M b = 11-719 + -029, a b = 1-050 + -021, V b = 8-961, 
M s = 11-114 + -028, a s = 2-300 ± -020, V s = 20-699, 
r bs = -052 ± -028, 
a value not significant with regard to its probable error. The means of arrays show 
no evidence of non-linearity, hence r can be regarded as a satisfactory description 
of the relationship. 
Hibiscus lasiocarpus, Cav. 
On the shores of the same lakes H. lasiocarpus was associated in great abun- 
dance with the preceding species. The fruits seem to dehisce a little earlier, and 
I was only able to secure 89 perfect ones. Table II shows the correlation between 
the number of bracts and the number of seeds per locule. The constants are : 
M b = 11-910 + -078, a b = 1-098 + -056, V b = 9-218, 
M s = 20 542 ± -210, a s = 6'753 + -153, F s = 32-876, 
r bs = -005 + -072. 
Hibiscus moscheutos, L. 
The Swamp Rose Mallow is the third of the three native species of the North- 
eastern United States. A collection of these fruits from 257 inflorescences was 
made in a small marshy meadow near Milburn, New Jersey, September 5, 1908. 
The relationship between the number of bractlets and the number of seeds develop- 
ing per locule appears in Table III. Analysis gives : 
M b = 12-630 + -026, a b = T134 ± "019, V b = 8-980, 
M s = 23-449 + -046, a s = 4-440 ± -032, V s = 18-934, 
r bs = -043 ± -0-23. 
