Jan., 1903.] 



Fasciation. 



347 



compacted that the stem was entirel}- concealed while the top of 

 the stalk was twisted down. In woody plants fasciated stems are 

 nearly always split or twisted, often both, as shown in Ailanthus 

 glaudulosus {Fig. /, a.) 



Fasciation is found frequently 

 occurring in many cultivated 

 plants; the flowers, hyacinths, 

 gladioli, narcissus, violets, gerani- 

 u m s , nasturtiums ( Tropoeohcm) ; 

 the garden vegetables, cabbage or 

 Brasska olcracea, and beets, Beta 

 vulgaris ; and trees, Pinus, Thuya, 

 Taxus, Salix, Alnus,Ulmus, Prunus 

 and Populus. Several plants are 

 cultivated only in their fasciated 

 form, the most familiar one being 

 the coxcomb, Cefosia cristata, L. , 

 and to this peculiar distortion is 

 due the wide crest so greath- desired 

 by the florist. 



That it is possible to transmit the 

 tendency to fasciate we have as proof 

 not only the coxcomb but the results 

 of experiments carried out by De- 

 \'ries. with eight different plants in 

 all of which fasciation proved to be 

 hereditary. The percentage of fas- 

 ciated seedlings in the fourth gen- 

 eration was 40 ; while in the fifth, 

 2 \ per cent, showed marked fascia- 

 tion. Wherever there was a tend- 

 ency to revert to the normal it seem- 

 ed to result from scanty nutrition, 

 while where abundance was sup- 

 plied the number of fasciated plants 

 was in great predominance. 



Goebel in his ' ' Organography of 

 Plants," states that it is difficult to 

 answer the question as to the cause 

 of fasciation. He classes it under 

 malformations which appear spon- 

 taneously and are not caused by 

 external conditions although these 

 may call the deformity forth. Other 

 authors suggest various causes which are many times wholly 

 contradictory. Union of several stems, flattening of one growing 

 point, over nutrition, lack of nutrition, decline of vital energy, 



Fig. 2. 



Fns(/iiilt'<l TliistU'. CiirdiiKS Idiiri'olatiis. 



