160 DEFORMITY IN A FLOWERING HEAD OF CHARLOCK. 



stem, two only are opposite, the other six being single, so that four 

 buds are missing, as the plant produces its flowers in pairs, and there 

 are only two single flowers on the small stalk and six on the 

 large stalk. 



One difficulty that I see is that the groove extends above and 

 below the divided stalk. I should say that this was probably caused 

 by the tendency that we see in any plant of a split in a branch to 

 continue its progress at each end along the grain of the wood. 



Whilst I am on the subject of vegetable monstrosities, I may 

 mention a carline thistle which I found at Portland the other day. 

 The plant is only 9in. high, and has two flowers ; one ordinary one 

 on a little side branch, and one very extraordinary one, which looks 

 as if it were composed of six or seven flowers, as the surface 

 occupied by its florets measures Tin. in length and only about fin. 

 in breadth, so that the length is eleven times the breadth ! It is 

 something like a cockscomb. The most striking part, perhaps, to 

 the picker of it is the frightful array of prickles below the flower ; 

 it seems as if 20 flowers had here united their forces instead of 

 six or seven. 



I should add that the stalk is flattened in much the same 

 proportion as the flower, but the root is quite normal. The 

 explanation of this I shall leave to the botanists of the Field Club. 



