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Some Variations in Plants. 



By F. M. Andrews. 



In llie proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science for 1905 and 

 VM9 I have mentioned some variations in phmts. Some of those have 

 heen noted and studied hy de Tries, who considered the subject of such 

 importance as to undertake its fnrtlier study. 



Flattened stems of various kinds are not infrequently found and 

 sometimes twisted stems also. The latter de Vries^ has noted in wild 

 teasels and he was able by selection and cultivation to increase the per- 

 centage of plants of teasel having this peculiarity. 



One instance of stem flattening, not due to a traumatic effect, is that 

 of the blackberry. The stems of this plant are ordinarily more or less 

 rounded in transverse outline and it would be interesting to see if this 

 monstrosity could be increased in any way in plants grown from them as 

 in teasels. 



This same tendency to produce occasionally flattened parts occurs in 

 dandelions. De Yries" was able to increase in various plants the per- 

 centage of flattened stems. Not iufi*equently the scapes of the dandelion 

 are so united with others and so flattened as to be more than a centimeter 

 in width. 



Likewise deviations are often shown in the flowers of dandelions 

 This is especially seen in the union of two or more heads of flowers. Two, 

 three and once five of flowers were more or less united into one and pro- 

 duced by this means a rather confuse<l and irregular mass of many flow- 

 ers. Here also was a flattening of the more or less perfectly united scapes. 

 A sunflower which had several heads fused into one very large and curi- 

 ously shaped mass was observed. 



The vinion, how^ever, of most flowers or branches in the neighborhood 

 of one another are always of rare occurrence, as DeVries'' has mentioned 

 is the case with most plants. An exception to this is seen in the case of 



* De Vries — Species and Varieties, their Origin by Mutation. 1905, pp. 404, 405. 

 - De Vrie.s — Species and Varieties, their Origin by Mutation. 1905, p. 411. 

 ' De Vries — Species and Varieties, their Origin by Mutation. 1905, p. 428. 



