Show r J MISS ISS FRANKIE SHARP brought in ina a veritable vegetable curiosity last Monday in the form of a much modified modified modi- modi 1 fied marigold In this blossom most of the ray flowers are modified into thick a fleshy incurved horns green in color and pubescent on the exterior surface 1 The disk flowers are also green reen and s j with one except exception are dest destitute tute of stamens an and pi pistils Nine of the ray flowers flower 11 have ve developed into stems varying varying varying vary- vary J ing from three-quarters three of an inch to I iches Each one and in III length stem tem is crowned by a a perfect blossom J Jabout about half as large as as the normal blossom j The involucres of of t the e s small ll blossoms blossoms as well as as the a of the modified flower are perfect and nd are are normal in appearance e. e I In the he s small all blossoms l s oms few true disk r flowers O Ors rs are found o d. d Those which are are re not fully dev developed l p d ray flowers are approaching th the 1 a m j form and with few exceptions all of the flowers are neutral The marigold belongs to the great order Composite a type of which is the sunflower All of the blossoms in inthis inthis inthis this order have undergone profound modification It seems probable that originally they were single flowers at atthe atthe atthe the ends of the branches but the branches have gradually grown shorter until now the flowers are brought together together together to to- gether in a close head In the flower above described the plant has partially reverted to its ancestral form Cases of reversion called atavism by biologists are not especially rare but are always deeply interesting as they tend to throw light on the origin of existing forms and wherever they are found they should be carefully studied C. C A. A Wll Whiting n 1 |