284 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1897. 



NOTES ON PLANT MONSTROSITIES. 

 BY IDA A. KELLER. 



In one of his " Physiologischen Notizen," 1 Professor Sachs forci- 

 bly calls attention to the exaggerated and erroneous morphological 

 significance which has been attributed to monstrosities. He con- 

 tends that monstrosities are simply monstrosities and not " sugges- 

 tions " as to the typical morphological nature of organs as implied 

 constantly by the teachings of the present day morphology. 2 He 

 urges that it is but proper to regard them as the result of a contest 

 between normal tendencies and accidental external agencies. His 

 final and emphatic verdict is : " Monstrosities represent a chaos 

 without law and order." 3 Professor Goebel takes the same point of 

 view, stating that most of the results obtained thus far in the field of 

 teratology must be regarded as useless ; the method of reasoning 

 from that which is deformed to that which is normal is a mis- 

 taken one. 4 He indicates the direction in which this important 

 branch of botany should be developed when he says : " The prob- 

 lem of this science is not to seek in deformities 'revelations' of 

 nature but to explain how these deformities have come to pass." 



At all events deformities in plants are extremely interesting. 

 Although there can be no doubt that the investigator should above 

 all things seek the explanations of their causes, yet in the present 

 state of our science it is impossible to discover in most cases the 

 reasons for their occurrence, especially if the disturbance is purely 

 a local one. Descriptions of individual cases will probably prove 

 of value in preparing the way for future generalizations. 



Two rather interesting abnormal growths came directly under my 

 notice some time ago. One was found on a shoot of our com- 

 mon garden woodbine, Lonicera Japonica Thunb. Plate V, fig. 

 1, represents the abnormal branch. It can readily be seen that 

 the monstrosity was produced by the growing together of the term- 

 inating leaf-pair, or, according to botanical terminology, the leaves 

 had become "connate." It was evident that the activity of the 

 growing point had been suppressed, but it is a question not easily 



1 Flora, 1893. Sachs. Ueber Wachsthumsperioden und Bildungsreize. 



2 Ibid. p. 222. 



3 Ibid. p. 233. 



4 Ibid. p. 233. 



