Parsnips and Celery. The wild form of the last, found in ditches of 

 brackish water, is extremely poisonous, the alkaloid has been removed 

 by cultivation in the garden types. 



V. F. P. Day, n.d.h., f.r.h.s. 



ELMS, GALLED PLANTAIN AND 

 MONSTROSITIES 



Corky bark on Elms. 



A Colony of 17 Elm saplings has been under observation. 5 

 saplings at the south end of the colony are ' corky ' — 6 at the north 

 end are clear, and ' corkiness ' seems to be starting round the branch 

 junctions in the rest. This ' corky bark ' has also been noted in the 

 Field Maple and Guelder Rose. Old botanists gave the cork barked 

 Elm a specific rank — Ulmus suberosa. 



Bentham and Hooker mention a development of corky wings on 

 adventitious branches, in varying degrees, but there is no suggestion 

 that it may be due to disease. However, since the condition appears 

 to be spreading to other species, it would seem to be infectious. 



The Forestry Commission Research Station report that the condition 

 would appear to be non-pathological ; but they also stated that no 

 work had been done on this phenomenon. 



Galled Plantain was sent to Rothamsted Experimental Station, and 

 the following report was received : " On the outside were 2 cocoons 

 one of which has already produced a weevil {Phytonomus arator L.). 

 This is a species in which the larvae are general feeders, living on the 

 leaves of Leguminosae, Polygonum, Lychnis, Silene. They pupate in 

 cocoons on the underside of the leaves and stalks. This weevil cannot 

 be responsible for the malformation of the plantain flower heads and just 

 happened to spin up on the heads. There is another beetle that is 

 known to cause galls of plantain flower heads but there is no trace of 

 it in the specimens you sent and the malformation is not the same as 

 that of the beetle as figured by Swanton. Inside we found two Ceci- 

 domyid larvae of a predatory form. This lends support to the idea that 

 the malformation might be due to mites, but we can find no trace of 

 such animals. So quite frankly I cannot give you the cause of it with 

 any certainty. I am very sorry." 



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