BANANA (Musa sapientium).
Sir R. Schomburgk states that he saw in St. Domingo a raceme on the Fig Banana which bore towards the base 125 fruits of the proper kind; and these were succeeded, as is usual, higher up the raceme, by barren flowers, and these by 420 fruits, having a widely different appearance, and ripening earlier than the proper fruit. The abnormal fruit closely resembled, except in being smaller, that of the Musa chinensis or cavendishii, which has generally been ranked as a distinct species. (11/16. 'Journal of Proc. Linn. Soc.' volume 2 Botany page 131.)
FLOWERS.
Many cases have been recorded of a whole plant, or single branch, or bud, suddenly producing flowers different from the proper type in colour, form, size, doubleness, or other character. Half the flower, or a smaller segment, sometimes changes colour.
CAMELLIA.
The myrtle-leaved species (C. myrtifolia), and two or three varieties of the common species, have been known to produce hexagonal and imperfectly quadrangular flowers; and the branches producing such flowers have been propagated by grafting. (11/17. 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1847 page 207.) The Pompon variety often bears "four distinguishable kinds of flowers,--the pure white and the red-eyed, which appear promiscuously; the brindled pink and the rose-coloured, which may be kept separate with tolerable certainty by grafting from the branches that bear them." A branch, also, on an old tree of the rose-coloured variety has been seen to "revert to the pure white colour, an occurrence less common than the departure from it." (11/18. Herbert 'Amaryllidaceae' 1838 page 369.)
Crataegus oxyacantha.
A dark pink hawthorn has been known to throw out a single tuft of pure white blossoms (11/19. 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1843 page 391.); and Mr. A. Clapham, nurseryman, of Bedford, informs me that his father had a deep crimson thorn grafted on a white thorn, which during several years, always bore, high above the graft, bunches of white, pink and deep crimson flowers.
Azalea indica.
A. indica is well known often to produce new varieties by buds. I have myself seen several cases. A plant of Azalea indica variegata has been exhibited bearing a truss of flowers of A. ind. gledstanesii "as true as could possibly be produced, thus evidencing the origin of that fine variety." On another plant of A. ind. variegata a perfect flower of A. ind. lateritia was produced; so that both gledstanesii and lateritia no doubt originally appeared as sporting branches of A. ind. variegata. (11/20. Exhibited at Hort. Soc. London. Report in 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1844 page 337.)
HIBISCUS (Paritium tricuspis).
A seedling of this plant, when some years old, produced, at Saharunpore (11/21. Mr. W. Bell 'Bot. Soc. of Edinburgh' May 1863.), some branches "which bore leaves and flowers widely different from the normal form." "The abnormal leaf is much less divided, and not acuminated. The petals are considerably larger, and quite entire. There is also in the fresh state a conspicuous, large, oblong gland, full of a viscid secretion, on the back of each of the calycine segments." Dr. King, who subsequently had charge of these Gardens, informs me that a tree of Paritium tricuspis (probably the very same plant) growing there, had a branch buried in the ground, apparently by accident; and this branch changed its character wonderfully, growing like a bush, and producing flowers and leaves, resembling in shape those of another species, viz., P. tiliaceum. A small branch springing from this bush near the ground, reverted to the parent-form. Both forms were extensively propagated during several years by cuttings and kept perfectly true.
Althaea rosea.
A double yellow Hollyhock suddenly turned one year into a pure white single kind; subsequently a branch bearing the original double yellow flowers reappeared in the midst of the branches of the single white kind. (11/22. 'Revue Horticole' quoted in 'Gardener's Chronicle' 1845 page 475.)
PELARGONIUM.
These highly cultivated plants seem eminently liable to bud-variation.