a yellow-berried holly (_Ilex aquifolium_),
{20} found wild, produced yellow berries. Vilmorin[51] observed in a
bed of _Saponaria calabrica_ an extremely dwarf variety, and raised
from it a large number of seedlings; some of these partially resembled
their parent, and he selected their seed; but the grandchildren were
not in the least dwarfed: on the other hand, he observed a stunted and
bushy variety of _Tagetes signata_ growing in the midst of the common
varieties by which it was probably crossed; for most of the seedlings
raised from this plant were intermediate in character, only two
perfectly resembling their parent; but seed saved from these two plants
reproduced the new variety so truly, that hardly any selection has
since been necessary.

Flowers transmit their colour truly, or most capriciously. Many annuals
come true: thus I purchased German seeds of thirty-four named
sub-varieties of one _race_ of ten-week stocks (_Matthiola annua_), and
raised a hundred and forty plants, all of which, with the exception of
a single plant, came true. In saying this, however, it must be
understood that I could distinguish only twenty kinds out of the
thirty-four named sub-varieties; nor did the colour of the flower
always correspond with the name affixed to the packet; but I say that
they came true, because in each of the thirty-six short rows every
plant was absolutely alike, with the one single exception. Again, I
procured packets of German seed of twenty-five named varieties of
common and quilled asters, and raised a hundred and twenty-four plants;
of these, all except ten were true in the above limited sense; and I
considered even a wrong shade of colour as false.

It is a singular circumstance that white varieties generally transmit
their colour much more truly than any other variety. This fact probably
stands in close relation with one observed by Verlot,[52] namely, that
flowers which are normally white rarely vary into any other colour. I
have found that the white varieties of _Delphinium consolida_ and of
the Stock are the truest. It is, indeed, sufficient to look through a
nurseryman's seed-list, to see the large number of white varieties
which can be propagated by seed. The several coloured varieties of the
sweet-pea (_Lathyrus odoratus_) are very true; but I hear from Mr.
Mast