The Orderly Cycles Pursued in Growth 373 



the case of branches, or sprouts, that spring anew from old 

 trunks. 



More profound disturbances, also of internal origin, result in 

 the formation of monstrosities, or in common language, '' freaks." 

 They are really rather common, and at- 

 tract much notice because of their oddity. 

 In general they may be distinguished 

 from the effects of fungus or insect action 

 by the fact that although they look odd 

 they also look healthy. Very typical are 

 those called fasciations, which arise in 

 this wise, that, from causes unknown, 

 some terminal bud, instead of develop- 

 ing as a single cylindrical structure, be- 

 comes partially split into a number of 

 points, which usually spread out like a 

 fan, and produce a flattened or corru- fig. 143 —An old Apple tree 

 gated stem with many little terminal 'iSfofX^brr/hi 

 points. A remarkably fine example of a 

 fasciated Pineapple is shown by the ac- 

 companying picture (figure 144), and 

 most people have seen fasciations in Asparagus, Hyacinths, or 

 other strong-growing plants. Fasciations are also the basis of 

 the crested forms of Cactus and other plants, and give the 

 ''cockscomb " to the plant of that name, in which, as in some other 

 cases, the condition is hereditary. Fasciations can also be pro- 

 duced, by the way, by external injury, such as the bites of some 

 insects, though when produced in such manner they are not hered- 

 itary. They are of all degrees of complexity, down to a simple 

 forking of the growing point, which may sometimes result in the 

 formation of double fruits, though these are more often the result 

 of the fusion of two buds in a sort of natural grafting. It is 

 obvious that such fasciations come very close to the condition 

 which originates the Birdseye Maple, or rather that the latter 



been lost, leaving each bud 

 free to develop as if it were 

 the only one. (Traced from 

 a photograph.) 



