Only one plant was observed; whence it came could not be determined, nor whether it had arisen from the neighboring stock of C_apsella_ or not. The discoverer took some seed to his garden and sent some to the botanical garden at Strassburg, of which Solms-Laubach is the director. The majority of the seeds of course were sowed naturally on the original spot. The following year some of the seeds germinated and repeated the novelty. The leaves, stems and flowers were those of the common shepherd's purse, but no decision could be reached concerning the type of this generation before the first flowers had faded and the rounded capsules had developed. Then it was seen that the _heegeri_ came true from seed. It did so both in the gardens and on the market-place, where it was observed to have multiplied and spread in some small measure. The same was noted the following year, but then the place was covered with gravel and all the plants destroyed. It is not recorded to have been seen wild since. [584] Intermediate forms have not been met with. Some slight reversions may occur in the autumn on the smallest and weakest lateral branches. Such reversions, however, seem to be very rare, as I have tried in vain to produce them on large and richly branched individuals, by applying all possible inducements in the form of manure and of cutting, to stimulate the production of successive generations of weaker side branches. This constancy was proved by the experiments of Solms-Laubach, which I have repeated in my own garden during several years with seed received from him. No atavists or deviating specimens have been found among many hundreds of flowering plants. It is important to note that within the family of the crucifers the form of the capsule and the attributes of the valves and seeds are usually considered to furnish the characteristics of genera, and this point has been elucidated at some length by Solms-Laubach. There is, however, no sufficient reason to construe a new genus on the ground of Heeger's globular fruited shepherd's purse; but as a true elementary species, and even as a good systematic species it has proved itself, and as such it is described by Solms-Laubach, who named it in honor of its discoverer. Exactly analogous discoveries have been [586] instead of displaying a bright yellow cup. _O. cruciata_ grows in the Adirondack Mountains, in the states of New York and Vermont, and seems to be abundant there. It has been introduced into botanical gardens and yielded a number of hybrids, especially with _O. biennis and _O. lamarckiana_, and the narrow petals of the parent-species may be met with in combination with the stature and vegetative characteristics of these last named species. _O. cruciata_ has a purple foliage, while _biennis_ and _lamarckiana_ are green, and many of the hybrids may instantly be recognized by their purple color.