This variety increased so rapidly,
that in the sixth generation of self-fertilised plants every single one
consisted of it. So it was with all the many plants which were raised,
up to the last or ninth self-fertilised generation. Although this
variety first appeared amongst the intercrossed plants, yet from their
offspring being intercrossed in each succeeding generation, it never
prevailed amongst them; and the flowers on the several intercrossed
plants of the ninth generation differed considerably in colour. On the
other hand, the uniformity in colour of the flowers on the plants of all
the later self-fertilised generations was quite surprising; on a casual
inspection they might have been said to be quite alike, but the crimson
blotches were not of exactly the same shape, or in exactly the same
position. Both my gardener and myself believe that this variety did not
appear amongst the parent-plants, raised from purchased seeds, but from
its appearance amongst both the crossed and self-fertilised plants of
the third and fourth generations; and from what I have seen of the
variation of this species on other occasions, it is probable that it
would occasionally appear under any circumstances. We learn, however,
from the present case that under the peculiar conditions to which my
plants were subjected, this particular variety, remarkable for its
colouring, largeness of the corolla, and increased height of the whole
plant, prevailed in the sixth and all the succeeding self-fertilised
generations to the complete exclusion of every other variety.
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