A DEGENERATED ROSE BLOSSOM 





X. 



livc-ry horliculturisi knows thai ihf floral orjj;ans of any ])lant, such as the sepals of the calyx, 

 the usually hriKht-colored petals, stamens and ]jistils, are all (jnly so many modified leaves, 

 and that under certain con<litions leaf-buds can be turned into flower buds, at an early 

 stage of their existence. Thus, by cripjjling the jilants, {gardeners force azaleas or camel- 

 lias to produce flowers from the buds which the plants had intended to produce only leaves. 

 The rose is a particularly good i)lant in which to trace this development, for it from time 

 to time throws out flowers that fail to attain their normal development, and are nothing 

 more than modified leaves. A bush on my estate has been behaving most irregularly for two 

 years, always sending out freak flowers under certain weather conditions. Sometimes 

 the roses are only half develoi)eil, just as if they were cut in two. Last s]mng it produced 

 several twin flowers, later on some flowers that were lo])sided, and on August ,S I noted 

 the branch liere ])hotographed, in which the sepals liavc reverted to their original leafy 

 character, clearly showing the ])innate margin chaj".Hcteristic of the species. The petals, 

 too, although partly c<jlored, were mori)hologically more like leaves than like the ordinary 

 petals <jf a rose. Such i)henomena are particularly common in cabliagc roses; probably 

 they are connected in some way with excess of nutritif)n, in many cases at least. Rever- 

 sions such as the one photogrc'iphed give striking jiroof, if anv were needed, that flowers 

 arc merely modified leaves. (Fig. 11.) JOHN C. UHRLAUB, Glenl)rook, Connecticut. 



510 



