1897 ] BRIEFER ARTICLES 209 
principles herein involved. The method is merely the application of 
well-known facts to economic ends.—ALBERT F. Woops, Division of 
Vegetable Phystology and Pathology, United States Department of Agri- 
culture. 
A CASE OF ECBLASTESIS AND AXIAL PROLIFICATION 
IN LEPIDIUM APETALUM. 
(WITH PLATE IX) 
THE teratological specimen of Lepidium described below was col- 
lected by Mr. F. S. Collins at Malden, Mass., in August. Noting its 
remarkable character Mr. Collins has kindly referred it to the writer 
for examination. The plant is about 4°" high, much branched, and 
already destitute of its lower leaves, so that it lacks some of the most 
characteristic features for specific identification. However, the coty- 
_ ledons are distinctly incumbent, as shown in fg. 72, and the terminal 
racemes, which have normal fruit, show the orbicular pods and approx- 
imate regularly spreading pedicels characteristic of Z. apeta/um Willd., 
to which the plant is confidently referred. Most of the flowers show no 
sign of petals whatever, while in others there are rudimentary petals, as 
shown in fg. ii. These, however, have been found in normal speci- 
mens of Z. apefalum, and therefore raise no appreciable doubt as to the 
identification. As mentioned above, the terminal racemes of the main 
axis and of several of the branches are entirely normal in their appear- 
ance. On the other hand, the numerous lateral racemes are all greatly 
modified. They are much looser, and the slender pedicels spread at 
various angles, instead of being regularly divaricate as in the normal 
racemes ; but what is more conspicuous is the modification of the fruit 
from an orbicular pod to a long clavate or pear shaped body, which is 
not sessile in the calyx, but borne upon a filiform ascending stipe, in 
some cases nearly equaling the pedicels of the flowers. 
The microscopic examination of one of these racemes shows a 
series of teratological modifications of the floral organs. Some of these 
changes are good examples of well recognized teratological phenom- 
ena, namely, ecblastesis and axial prolification, while others are too 
irregular for any very satisfactory classification or morphological inter- 
pretation. A cursory search in literature for records of similar monstros- 
ities in the genus Lepidium has disclosed only a single mention of such 
