[March, 1858.] 361 



MONSTEOSITIES. 



By Robert Bentley, F.L.S., etc. 



{With a Plate.) 

 On a Monstrosity of Scabiosa sucqisa. 



The specimen wliicli I now exhibit was gathered by me in the 

 neighbourhood of Hitchin, Herts^ on the 17th of last September. 

 It is a monstrosity of the inflorescence of the Devil's-bit Scabi- 

 ous {Scabiosa succisa), in which most of the flowers^ instead of 

 maintaining their normal sessile position on the receptacle^ have 

 become elevated in small clusters upon stalks, arranged in an 

 umbellate manner (fig. 1) . Each division of the general umbel 

 also exhibits a tendency to divide again in a similar umbellate 

 manner (fig. \, a), and thus to form a compound umbel. This 

 tendency is not, however, by any means so strikingly exhibited 

 in the present dried specimen, as in one which I unfortunately 

 lost after gathering. What renders this specimen stiU more re- 

 markable^ is the fact, that the general involucre is not only well 

 marked, but its component bracts are even larger than usual (fig. 

 ], Z>), and each stalked cluster of flowers has also its own invo- 

 lucel (fig. 1, c). The general characters of the flowers themselves 

 presented no peculiarity worthy of notice. 



-The specimen must be regarded as one of some interest, for, as 

 far as I can ascertain from inquiries amongst our leading British 

 botanists, no similar one has been hitherto seen. It is very ne- 

 cessary, therefore, that the occurrence of such a monstrosity 

 should be recorded ; and in order to render it more evident, a 

 woodcut has been appended to this notice. 



The specimen naust be also considered as interesting in ano- 

 ther point of view, for the tendency thus exhibited by the flowers 

 of a Dipsacaceous plant to developc in an umbellate manner, is an 

 indication of an afl&nity between that order and the Umbellifera. 

 It will be important to ascertain whether such a monstrosity will 

 occur in future years, and thus become permanent, and I shall 

 therefore look carefully for it next autumn. 



I may here state that I have seen in former years somewhat 

 similar monstrosities in Knautia arvensis and Scabiosa Colum~ 



N. S. VOL. II. 3 a 



