2 5 8 
THE PLANT WORLD. 
Trillium erectum is found growing very large. One specimen 
on a rocky hummock had cream-colored petals and diminished 
odor, and the ovary alone retained the characteristic red color. 
There are numerous variations of T. grandidorum both progres¬ 
sive and retrogressive. 
The most striking variation of the flower is the development ot 
chloryphyll along the midvein of the petal. This may be ar¬ 
ranged in a narrow strip in herring-bone pattern, or it may be a 
broad solid stripe of green about two-thirds the width of the 
petal, or it may cover the entire petal except two narrow white 
stripes on the edge near the end of the petal. Correlated with 
this, there is usually an increase in the size of the sepals. If 
flowers are modified leaves, then this appears to be a reversal to 
type. Nature seems to have turned back a few pages of her 
book, and displayed a few of her earlier designs. In some, the 
portions of the petals that are white turn pink with age, as is 
usual, and shrivel, while the green part of the petal may be 
tinged with pink, but does not shrivel so quickly, showing that 
it has some functional importance. The transplanted specimens 
died down after a short time so that the length of persistence of 
the petals was not noted. 
This development of chloryphyll in the petals and the widening 
of the sepals has gone so far in one case as to do away with the 
three characteristic stem leaves of the Trillium, allowing these 
modified flower parts to serve the entire function of leaves. It 
strongly suggests the tulip plan of flower without the basal 
leaves. 
At the other extreme of variation or, perhaps, intermediate be¬ 
tween the last form and the usual T. grandiUorum, is one in 
which the three stem leaves have progressed by developing 
petioles one-half to one inch long, although this has been accom¬ 
panied by a reduction in the size and in the shape of the leaves. 
Specimens with supernumerary and poorly developed parts 
occur. Probably in some of these, gradation between stamens 
and leaf-like structures can be found. One example of a strik¬ 
ing variation was discovered in which a perfectly white T. 
grandiUorum had so far diverged from the habit of the family 
as to have four petals, four sepals, and four stem leaves. 
