320 
PROFESSOR K. PEARSOX AXD OTHERS OX 
(13.) C. Nigella Hispanica. — Besides the poppy capsules, Professor Oliver had 
suggested to me that it would be possible to count the segmentation of the seed 
vessel in the cases of Nigella and Mallow. I accordingly jirocured from Messrs. 
Veitch, of Slough, upwards of a hundred plants of Nigella Hispanica. Meanwhile, 
Professor Oliver sent me a list of some he had counted himself, and pointed out 
that there was a substantial dilferentiation lietween the seed vessels on the main 
stem and those on the side shoots. Tt was quite clear on examination that these 
seed vessels were not undifterentiated like organs, the number of segments in a seed 
vessel on the side shoots being much more like the number on a similar vessel on a 
separate plant than like those of a main-shoot capsule on the same plant. Further, 
although I do not know the history of these special plants, they were probably from 
highly selected seed and in a very unstable condition. Whereas in the examination of 
many thousand poppy capsules I only found one remarkable abnormal case,^ abnor¬ 
malities in the case of Nigella Hispanica abounded and rendered the counting of the 
segmentation very difficult. Double and treble capsules were found in every state of 
union up to complete fusion, and with every variety of deformity, such as the tips of 
one capsnle growing through the sides of a second capsule. Thus the material was 
by no means suited to my present purpose. However, as I had the material it 
seemed worth wliile testing the influence of differentiation in reducing correlation. 
Accordingly I made no attempt to sejiarate top from side capsules, t and formed the 
following table in the manner sufficiently indicated in the preceding pages :— 
* A double capsule on one stem. It contained-only a few seeds. These Professor F. 0. Oliver kindly 
sowed for me this year; iliere resulted two plants with a very fetv poor flowers, but the abnormality was 
not perpetuated, and the capsules rotted oft’ without giving seed. 
t If the top capsules only had been taken I should often have had only one on a plant. 
