DEFORMITY IN A FLOWERING HEAD OF CHARLOCK. 159 



of a tree crosses and rubs against another branch, and they gradually 

 grow together ; but it would be difficult to apply this explanation in 

 this case, as it would be hard to shew how the top of the shoot had 

 got bent round, and also how the little shoot had remained firmly 

 pressed against the larger shoot sufficiently long to effect a complete 

 junction. 



The explanation which I would suggest is that a wound was 

 made in an ordinary flowering shoot whilst young, perhaps when 

 very small indeed, when the whole thing was only a bud. If at 

 this earty date, it would have been but a very minute puncture, 

 which would probably in 19 cases out of 20 have healed up by the 

 sides again growing together : or it may have been a small slit in 

 the stalk made at a later date ; it must, however, have been made 

 not later than when the main stalk between the points of junction 

 was Jin. long the present length of the connecting branch. 



This accident, whatever was its cause, perhaps a thorn or a blow, 

 divided the stem into two parts, the smaller of which I have 

 spoken of as the connecting branch. It would be likely that such a 

 narrow thin little strip of bark would be stunted and unable to keep 

 pace in growth with the other part, which included almost all the 

 stem ', hence, whilst this little threadlike portion was almost 

 stationary in size, the remainder of the stem grew on, until at the 

 time that I found it it measured 2 Jin., or five times the length of the 

 other portion which had become detached from it. This latter, 

 being sufficiently strong to hold it, caused it to curve round 

 into the shape which it has taken. 



The groove represents the place from which the connecting branch 

 was removed, but it has grown and widened out with the growth 

 of the stem. The buds on the little branch are very much stunted 

 from the small amount of nourishment that could flow to them 

 along such a minute stalk, which also, no doubt, exhausted much of 

 its energy in healing up its inner side where it was severed. This 

 wound to it would represent half its surface, whereas the correspond- 

 ing wound on the main stem would be to it but a trifle. It is 

 interesting to note that of the eight buds on this portion of the 



