MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
37 
SOME INTERESTING VARIATIONS OF COMMON PLANTS. 
Charles A. Davis. 
From time to time, peculiar variations in the vegetative or floral structures 
of certain of our native plants have come to the notice of the writer, and 
they are brought to your attention at this time with the hope that other 
observers twill put upon record their notes along the same, or similar lines. 
Such observations, as isolated facts, have little value and may not seem 
worthy of preservation in permanent form, but a sufficiently large series of 
them, after study and assimilation by some one, may shed important light 
upon a question which otherwise it would be impossible to illuminate. 
The record of facts of variations, sports and mutations in these days, are 
of especial interest, since, at any time they may furnish important clues to 
the further clearing up of the obscurity in which certain phases of the history 
of the development of our present flora is now immersed. While no such 
claim is made for the present paper, it is hoped that notes contained in it 
will not be without interest. 
For a number of years occasional specimens of plants normally with oppo- 
site leaves have been found, in which some, or all, of the branches and leaves 
were in true whorls of three. The duplication of parts sometimes occurs on 
a single branch, or twig, sometimes throughout the entire plant, except 
the flowers, which, so far as observed, are normal. The appearance of the 
parts of the plants thus affected is not that of fascination, even of the slight 
est degree, but is perfectly normal, the odd buds of the whorl always develop- 
ing symmetrically with regard to the others, and on alternate sides of the 
stem, the three dividing it exactly into thirds at perfectly definite angles, 
the series forming six instead of four ranks. Sometimes the secondary 
branches of shrubs have their buds and leaves normally placed. 
The plants in which this peculiarity has been observed are the following: 
1. Acer rubrum L. Red Maple. 
A single small branch on a medium sized tree. There may have been 
other branches of the same sort on this tree, but none were noticed. 
2. AEscidus Hippocastanum L. Horse chestnut. 
A single twig on a young tree. All other branches opposite. 
3. Hypericum Ascyron L. Great St. John’s Wort. 
Entire plant. 
4. Syringa vulgar s L. Lilac. 
A single short branch on large bush. 
5. Fraxinus Americana L. White Ash. 
A sprout from stump. 
6. Sambucus Canadensis L. Common Elder. 
A single young, vigorous shoot, in a considerable tract of smaller ones, 
has been seen with all of the leaves in whorls of three. 
7. Lonicera Tartarica L. Tartarian Honeysuckle. 
This shrub shows this variation more frequently than any other species, 
and it is usual here at Ann Arbor to find some of the branches on 
most individuals thus modified. 
