The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable KingdomDarwin, Charles
Science
The Effects of Cross & Self-Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom
Darwin, Charles
Fertilization of plants; Plants -- Variation; Pollination
The intercrossed to the self-fertilised plants, as 100 to 118.
We thus see that in weight, as in height, the self-fertilised plants had
a decided advantage over the English-crossed and intercrossed plants.
The remaining seeds of the three kinds, whether or not in a state of
germination, were sown in three long parallel rows in the open ground;
and here again the self-fertilised seedlings exceeded in height by
between 2 and 3 inches the seedlings in the two other rows, which were
of nearly equal heights. The three rows were left unprotected throughout
the winter, and all the plants were killed, with the exception of two of
the self-fertilised; so that as far as this little bit of evidence goes,
some of the self-fertilised plants were more hardy than any of the
crossed plants of either lot.
We thus see that the self-fertilised plants which were grown in the nine
pots were superior in height (as 116 to 100), and in weight (as 118 to
100), and apparently in hardiness, to the intercrossed plants derived
from a cross between the grandchildren of the Brazilian stock. The
superiority is here much more strongly marked than in the second trial
with the plants of the English stock, in which the self-fertilised were
to the crossed in height as 101 to 100. It is a far more remarkable
fact--if we bear in mind the effects of crossing plants with pollen from
a fresh stock in the cases of Ipomoea, Mimulus, Brassica, and
Iberis--that the self-fertilised plants exceeded in height (as 109 to
100), and in weight (as 118 to 100), the offspring of the Brazilian
stock crossed by the English stock; the two stocks having been long
subjected to widely different conditions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account