GENETIC OBSERVATIONS ON THE GENUS LINARIA E. M. EAST Harvard University, Bussey Institution, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Received January 9, 1933 A few years ago, I obtained seeds from eighteen presumably different species of the genus Linaria-chiefly through the kindness of Professor Doctor E. BAURand of HAAGEund ScHMIm-in order to determine the value' of this group for genetical investigation. The list of species follows, together with some notes on their compatibility with each other. 1. L. bipartita Willd. Hab. northern Africa. Erect, branching, annual type. Fls. large, violet-purple, with orange palates above, becoming whitish toward the base. Spurs long and curved. Closely related to Nos. 7,9, 10, 14, and probably will cross with them and give fertile hybrids. No crosses were obtained when the plants were used as female with Nos. 3 (12 pol.) and 17 (16 pol.). 2. L. canadensis Dumont. Hab. New Brunswick, New England, and south to southwest. Slender, erect, annual. Lvs. linear. Fls. small, violet-blue to purple. Late flowering. No crosses tried because of this point. 3. L. Cymbalaria Mill. (Kenilworth ivy). Hab. Europe. Four types grown, received under the names vulgare (trailing), alba (trailing with white flowers), globosa (bushy), and compacta (bushy). A trailing, glabrous plant, with reniform-orbicular, 5-9 lobed leaves. Fls. small, axillary, of various shades of purple above and of yellow at the lip. Spurs short. No crosses Earlier, I have made similar surveys of other genera; but, as no especially interesting con- tributions to genetic knowledge resulted, the results were not putlished. I now believe that this decision was a mistake. Short papers by geneticists who have had experience with various genera, setting forth the advantages and disadvantages of the material in question, might result in saving the time of other workers. I give two examples from my own experience. A collection of 28 species of Begonia was made, and nearly 1000 interspecific crosses were at- tempted. Numerous cytological examinations were also made. Cytologically, the genus is poor material, the species having between 20 and 60 small chromosomes. In general, 1 hybrid was ob- tained for each 100 pollinations. No hybrids were obtained between the fibrous-rooted and the tuberous-rooted types. Hybrids between species belonging to different sections of the genus were not obtained. Even within the various sections hybridization was extremely diffcult. Keverthe- less, the plants have a distinct genetic advantFge in ease of asexual reproduction; and, as is shown by the success of horticultural work, a consideratle number of hytrids can be obtained between species that are closely related (presumably having the same chromosome number). A complete cytological survey of the genus would be very helpful to the horticulturist and possibly to the geneticist, though as genetic material the group is poor. At another time, I made a large number of attempts at crossing on some 15 species of Cam- panula. Not a single hybrid was obtained. The genus can not be recommended to geneticists, therefore, though it is not too diflicult cytologically, as the investigations of GAIRDNER(1926) and of DE VILMORINand SIMOKET(1927) show. GENETICS18: 324 J; 1933 OBSERVATIONS ON LINARIA 325 were obtained when the plants were used as female with NOS.6 (34 pol.), 10 (29 pol.), 11 (61 pol.), 13 (24 pol.), 14 (3 pol.), and 18 (19 pol.). With No. 17,6 capsules were obtained from 45 pollinations. 4. L. dalmatica Mill. Hab. Dalmatia, Oriens. Plants erect. Lvs. linear. Fls. yellow with deeper palate. Close to L. macedonica. Late-flowering. No flowers available for crossing with early-flowering species. 5. L. genistijolia Benth. Hab. southern Europe. Very similar to L. vul- garis, but no flowers of latter available for crossing. 6. L. Hendersonii (Hort.?). Similar to L. vulgaris, but with larger, showier flowers. Unable to find correct name or source of this type. Used as female with pollen of L. vulgaris, no capsules formed (8 pol.). Used as male, with L. vulgaris, 4 capsules were obtained out of 6 pollinations. In the latter case numerous seeds were formed containing embryos, which were prob- ably defective, and very little endosperm. None of the seeds germinated. 7. L. heterophylla Desf. (L. aparinoides Dietr.). Hab. Mediterranean. The plants designated here were received under the name L. aparinoides; but they did not belong to this yellow-flowered species. Instead, they had pur- ple flowers, with a little yellow on the palate. In all characteristics they stood close to L. maroccana. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with L. Cymbalaria (12 pol.) or L. Broussonnetii (L.multipunctata) (5 pol.). 8. L. macedonica Griseb. Hab. Macedonia. Broader leaves, otherwise like L. dalmatica. Two varieties were grown, differing only in shade of flower color. They were received under the varietal names speciosa and nymphe. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with L. Broussonnetii (7 pol.) or L. reticulata (8 pol.). 9. L. macroura Link. Hab. southern Russia. LINK gives no description in Enum. Hort. Berol. 11, p. 137. He refers to MARSHALL(1819) Flora taurico-causica 111: p. 413; but this description only designates the plant as erect and the leaves as linear and alternate. I have no idea whether the plants received under this name are true L. macroura or not. They have purple flowers and are very close to L. maroccana, though they are late- flowering. No flowers were available for crossing when the majority of the species were in flower. 10. L. maroccana Hook. Hab. Marocc. Erect, annual. Lvs. linear, some- times whorled, slightly hairy. Fls. violet to reddish-violet. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with Nos. 3 (43 pol.) or 11 (13 pol.). 11. L. Broussonnetii Chav. (L. multipunctata Hoffmgg. & Link). Hab. Marocc.; Lusit. This species and the one received under the name L. Perezii are closely related. The yellow flowers are spotted with copper red 326 E. M. EAST flecks. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with Nos. 3 (19 pol.), 10 (11 pol.), 14 (8 pol.), and 17 (9 pol.). Hybrids were obtained with pollen of N. Perezii. 12. L. Pancicii (Hort.). Apparently not L. Pancicii of Janka. Erect, an- nual. Lvs. linear. Fls. medium size, light yellow. Flowered late. No oppor- tunity to test compatibilities with other species. 13. L. Perezii Gay. (Apparently is N. Tournefortii Steud.) Hab. south- western Europe. Short, erect plant, apparently short-lived perennial. Lvs. narrow lanceolate, short. Fls. pale yellow. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with Nos. 3 (64 pol.), 7 (5 pol.), 8 (4 pol.), 10 (8 pol.), 14 (12 pol.), 15 (3 pol.), 17 (14 pol.), and 18 (16 pol.). Hybrids obtained with L. Brous- sonnetii reciprocally. 14. L. reticulata Desf. Hab. northern Africa. Erect annual. Lvs. linear, whorled. Fls. yellow with palate copper-colored; above netted with purple veins. Used as female, no crosses obtained with Nos. 3 (25 pol.), 11 (10 pol.), and 17 (19 pol.). Hybrids with L. sapphirina reciprocally, and with L. maroccana used as male. 15. L. sapphirina Hoffmgg. & Link (L. delphinioides Gay). Hab. north- ern Africa. Erect annual similar to L. maroccana. Flowers a somewhat lighter violet-rose. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with Nos. 13 (25 pol.) or 17 (11 pol.). Hybrids obtained when L. reticulata was used as male. 16. L. triornithophora Willd. Hab. Lusitan. Erect perennial. Lvs. lanreo- late in groups of 3 or 4. Fls. in groups of 3; purple-striped withorange palate. Spurs inflated. Flowers late. No opportunity to test compatibilities with other species. 17. L. triphylla Mill. Hab. Reg. Mediterranean. Lvs. oval in threes. Flowers bright yellow. Used as female, no crosses were obtained with Nos. 3 (27 pol.), 6 (14 pol.), 10 (9 pol.), 11 (13 pol.), 13 (17 pol.), 14 (9 pol.), 18 (11 pol.). 18. L. vulgaris Mill. The common butter and eggs. Adv. from Europe. Erect perennial. Lvs. long, linear. Fls. yellow, darker on bearded palate. Chromosome counts were made on several species (see HEITZ1927). L. Cymbalaria has 14 chromosomes (somatic). These numbers were checked in root-tips and in buds. No lagging chromosomes. L. heterophylla (L. aparanoides) shows 6 pairs of oval chromosomes of approximately the same size at IM. No lagging. L. macroura shows 6 pairs of chromosomes, 4 pairs being oval and 2 pairs slightly elongated. No lagging. L. maroccana shows 6 pairs of oval chromosomes having approximately the same size. L. OBSERVATIONS ON LINARIA 327 Broussonnetii (L.multipunctata) shows 6 pairs of oval chromosomes hav- ing approximately the same size. One pair occasionally lags at IA. L. Pancicii shows 6 pairs of oval chromosomes of approximately the same size. One or two pairs frequently lag at IA. L. Perezii shows 6 pairs of chro- mosomes of approximately the same size. Several plates showed that one pair sometimes precedes the others to the poles. L. reticulata shows 6 pairs of chromosomes, of which 2 pairs are one and one-half times as long as the others. L. triphylla shows 6 pairs of chromosomes commonly, though several plates were counted with 7 pairs. L. vulgaris shows 6 pairs of chro- mosomes, of which one pair is somewhat larger than the others. These results indicate that the Linaria species have six pairs of chromo- somes with the exception of L. Cymbalaria (seven pairs). It is thus an ex- ample of a genus where marked sexual incompatibility has developed apart from changes in chromosome number. L. Cymbalaria has been given generic status, largely on account of its reniform-orbicular leaves. But there appears to be no valid genetic reason for such a separation. Though L. Cymbalaria does not hybridize with other species, the same statement may be made about several of the six-chromosome forms.