Preliminary note on heterostylism in oxalis and lythrum

Abstract

1. Reciprocals have always given like results. That is, there is no evidence that the ♂ and ♀ gametes carry different characters. 2. Long-styled plants selfed give Longs only. Long is the pure recessive, as in Primula. 3. There are certainly two differently constituted Mid-styled Oxalis, giving different ratios with the same Short. One gives no Longs at all, and the other gives Longs in equality with the Mids. Self-fertilizations can give Longs as well as Mids, and once in Oxalis all three forms have appeared. There is no comparative evidence on the result of self-fertilizing the two different types of Mid-styled plant. 4. There is doubtful evidence of a second type of Short-styled plant, which gives a ratio approximating to 1 Long: 1 Mid: 8 Shorts; whereas the usual ratio with the same individual Mid is fairly near 1 Long: 1 Mid: 2 Shorts. Self-fertilized Shorts in Oxalis have produced Shorts only, but in Lythrum one of both the other forms appeared in a family of ten. 5. A further well-established ratio in aM x S cross is 1 Long:n Mid:n Short, wheren is a number between 13 and 34 This indicates the presence of yet a third type of Mid or Short, but no comparative evidence is available.