Others,
though not figured, are easily recognized by their names and
descriptions. The cockscomb is the most widely known, but many white or
double flowered varieties were already cultivated at that time. The
striped Jalappa, the crested Sedum, the fasciated crown-imperial, white
strawberries, red gooseberries and many others were known to Munting.
Some varieties are as old as culture itself, and it is generally known
that the Romans cultivated the white form of the opium-poppy and used
the foliage of the red variety of the sugarbeet as a vegetable.
In our time flowers and fruits are changing nearly as rapidly as the
fancies and tastes of men. Every year new forms are introduced and usurp
the place of older ones. Many are soon forgotten. But if we look at old
country gardens, a goodly number of fine and valued old sorts are still
to be found. It would be worth while to make special collections of
living plants of old varieties, which surely would be a good and
interesting work and bring about a conviction [166] of the stability of
pure strains. Coming now to the other side of the question, we may
consider those cases of reversion which have been recorded from time to
time, and which always have been considered as direct proofs of the
varietal character of the reverting form.
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