Ixxx PKOCEEDINGS Of THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of age, bearing solitary, imperfect, axillary flowers in the axils of leaves 

 of the current season. The shoot was much elongated, and showed a 

 case of precocious flowering, the flowers, which should normally have 

 opened next season, having developed this. The specimen was, moreover, 

 particularly interesting from the fact that not only had the shoot 

 elongated, but the bud scales had developed in the form of foliage leaves ; 

 the flowers were distorted in various ways. 



Diseased Plants dc. — Several other examples of diseased plants were 

 exhibited, including vine leaves with warts, vine leaves attacked by red 

 spider, apple leaves with Fusicladium, &c. 



Scientific Committee, July 17, 1906. 

 Dr. M. T. Masters, F.R.S., in the Chair, and eight members present. 



Beiimrhahle Seedling Picotee. — Mr. Douglas, V.M.H., showed a 

 curious plant raised from seed of a yellow ground picotee crossed by 

 pollen from a similar flower. The parents had long robust leaves, and 

 w^ere of the usual habit of the group, while the seedling had a very tufted 

 habit, very much shorter and narrower linear leaves, much more glaucous 

 than the parents, and small yellow semi-double flowers ha\dng slightly 

 notched petals, the teeth being tinted red. The plant grew for three 

 years before producing flowers, whereas one year is the usual period. 

 There seems to have been no chance of cross-breeding having occurred 

 with another speciesj 



Variation in Pinks. — Mr. Douglas also showed an interesting group 

 of flowers from pinks grown from seed of the best varieties to demonstrate 

 the exceeding variability in the flowers, both in the amount of doubling 

 and the form and coloration. A considerable number revert to the single 

 form. 



Lateral Prolification in Carnations. — Mr. Douglas also showed 

 examples of a yellow carnation in which the axis had branched at the 

 base of the flower, producing a considerable number of lateral buds, 

 a condition very frequently seen in roses. A vote of thanks was unani- 

 mously accorded Mr. Douglas for his interesting exhibits. 



Malformation in Pea. — Mr. A. W. Sutton, Y.M.H., showed a pea 

 plant where the flowers were abortive in a similar manner to those seen 

 in the bean shown on June 12 by Mr. Douglas. This condition, which 

 affected all the flowers on the plant, and on this plant only out of many 

 thousands growing in a field, is said to be brought about by the presence 

 of a species of gall-mite {Eriophyes). 



Fasciation in Mangold. — Mr. Sutton also showed a remarkable 

 specimen of this common phenomenon in a mangold, where the flower- 

 bearing stem measured nearly two inches in diameter. 



Virescent Clover Heads. — Heads of Trifolium repens, in which some 

 of the floral parts had been transformed into foliaceous leaves, were also 

 shown by Mr. Sutton. This well-known pecuHarity has been proved 

 to be due to the presence of an insect in the stem, probably Hylastinus 

 obscurus, Marsh. See M. Molliard in Comptes Beiidtis, November 1904, 

 p. 930, and Journ. R.H.S. xxix. (1905), p. 924. 



