VEGETABLE CURIOS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5199, 13 February 1904, Page 12

VEGETABLE CURIOS.

At the November meeting of the Horticultural Club, liondon, Mr H. J. Veit oh road a paper on the above subject. The branch of tints extensive themo "with which the lecturer specially dealt was that of malformations in flowers and fruit rather than the more general one of “spirts” proper; and the paper was rendered tho more interesting by the exhibition, of a largo number of beautifully executed drawings of specimens which hutf' Como under Mr Saunders’s personal notice. A considerable number of these represented curious divergences from the normal structure of Cypnped- ■ Hum flowers, which appear peculiarly prone to their production, tho various parts of the'flower appearing abnormally changed in form, or even duplicated or reversed, although in the large mar joritv of cases th« modifications can be traced as more change of form of normal parts, and rarely as actual additions. In these cases of dimple malformation as in most of the others described and exhibited, such as double fruits, foliaoeoua flowers and fascination, the peculiarity was almost invariably confined to tho individual plant, or even tho individual flower; and although recurrent cases were cited, they seemed, as a rule, incapable of reproduction through tho seed. It was also pointed out that similar eccentricity was much rarer in leaves than in flowers, duo presumably to tho higher specialisation of tho parts of the latter, many abnormal forms of which were obliviously duo to more or loss reversion to tho primary leaf-type. The cause of such aberration appears to bo entirely a mystery, as it is with '‘sports” proper. In the subsequent discussion, in which tho Hoy. Mr Honslow, Mr Harry Voitch, Mr "Walker, Mi’ Drucry, Mr Chas. Pearson and Dr. Cooke took part, Mr Henslow cited a number of abnormalities on similar lines to those mentioned by the lecturer, and gave some explanations regarding the particular modifications of tho floral organs etc., involved. Double flowers were also alluded to, very opposite opinions being expressed as to the reason why they appeared, starvation being adduced as one reason; while -Mr Harry Veitoh cited the very apposite, though opposite, case of double Rhododendrons raised by bis firm hyi fertilisation from apparently accidental potaloid stamens Where the highest culture prevailed throughout. Mr Walker mentioned several oases, and said ho could cite many moro, or Narcissus sports or reversions occurring in his cultures, which ho felt inclined to refer to enddon change of treatment. Mr Druery referred to the innumerable curios which had originated among ferns, in which modifications of the leaf equivalents or fronds were singularly marked as well as numerous. Ho also pointed out tho strong resemblance and yet essential difference, between fascination and the cresting to which moat fern species seemed subject, though among flowering plants no definite instance could bo cited. Finally, he strongly deprecated the classing of symmetrical sports capable 'of true reproduction through spore or seed' with what had been previously described as Bamntnliko “freaks,” which ho maintained belonged, like the malformations cited by the lecturer, to a different category altogether.