THE A^IERICAX BOTANIST 



59 



the apex of the fasciation often breaks up into several stems 

 each with its r)\vn flower-head or the stems may be fasciated be- 

 low, split in the middle, and united again at the top, producing 

 a multiple flower-head. 



In this connection it is interesting to note that the cocks- 

 comb [ Cclosia cristafa) . a familiar plant of old fashioned gar- 

 dens, is an excellent example of fasciation that has practically 

 become permanent. The abnormality has been cultivated for 

 so long and the seed so carefully selected that it now comes true 

 from seed. In several other species of plants in which fascia- 

 tion occurs spontaneously, DeVries found that thirty per cent 

 or more of the seedlings produced the peculiarity. 



Our illustration shows an interesting example of fasciation 

 in a western species of cone flower, Lepachys cohiinnans. In 

 this, two bundles of stems are fasciated while a number of 

 single stems afford opportunities for comparison with the 

 monstrosity. The photo from which the illustration was made 

 was received from ]\Irs. S. B. Walker of Denver, Colorado. 



CULTIVATING THE SPIDER FLOWER 



By ]\Irs. S. B. AA'alker. 



HE spider flower (Clcoinc scrndata) a relative of which 



was so interestingly described in a recent ntnnber of the 

 Aincricaji Botanist also deserves great praise for its adapta- 

 bility in the hands of the gardener. Its odd blossoms of rosy 

 purple are pleasing" to the eye even when coming up among 

 other plants and growing as best it may, but Avhen planted 

 where one wishes it to grow and cultivated and trained into 

 shape, there is no reason why a single plant should not bear 

 hundreds of blossoms instead of the dozen or so which it com- 

 monl}- produces. 



