A TERATOLOGIC AL THISTLE 



By Aven Nelson and J. Francis ]\IacBride. 



T7ASCIATI0N in plants, causing more or less pronounced 

 monstrosities in vegetative, floral or fruit characters is 

 not rare. The writers have never seen, however, a more pro- 

 nounced or interesting example than the one shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration. It is that of a specimen of Thistle 

 ( Carduus Druiiiinondii) . 



The fasciated stem was large, notably flattened and fistu- 

 lous. The several stems, that evidently had entered into its 

 makeup, had succeeded in combining their several heads with 

 equal completeness and more striking results. Lying within the 

 compact, truncate, ample, lunate-oblong fasciation of floral 

 leaves was the compounded head. In general aspect it strik- 



