Freaky flowers - wacky aberrations

[TheOnionMan]

I think everyone has come across odd aberrant flowers or growth forms on their plants here and there.  I have started this thread to explore weird and wacky aberrant flower and plant growths.  I'll kick it off with four examples.

1.  The first couple photos show Allium cernuum with a monstrose fasciated stem and inflorescence, as if several stems and flowers heads fused together judging from the abnormal density of the flower head.  In subsequent years, all growth on the subject plant returned to normal.

2.  The next example is just a weird distorted inflorescence on Allium senescens spotted this past summer.

3.  I dabble with "hardy hibiscus" hybridization, and one of my unnamed hybrids from 'Anne Arundel' routinely, but not always, makes 4-petal blossoms (Hibiscus typically have 5 petals).  It has been doing this since 2003, with approximately 10-20% of the blossoms being 4-petalled.  Included is a photo showing a normal 5-petal bloom on the same plant.

4.  Another Hibiscus, H. syriacus 'Bluebird' (the true form) routinely makes 6 & 7 petalled flowers, although typically they are 5-petalled.  One of my favorite shrubs of all time, it is superior to the so-called improved cultivar heavily marketed today, H. Blue Satin (aka H. syriacus 'Marina').  There is a photo comparing the blooms, included here to show both a 5 and 7-petalled bloom on 'Bluebird' on the right, compared to the smaller regularly 5-petalled blooms on Blue Satin on the left.

[Ragged Robin]

Mark, this is an intriguing thread and I wonder what causes a bulb to throw up as an aberration such as in your Allium cernuum and then revert back - is it the feeding of the bulb?  Would like to be enlightened   

Your H. syriacus 'Bluebird' is one of my favourite shrubs too and what a beauty you are growing in your garden - Wow   They grow well here in the Swiss mountains but not so perfectly 

[TheOnionMan]

Mark, this is an intriguing thread and I wonder what causes a bulb to throw up as an aberration such as in your Allium cernuum and then revert back - is it the feeding of the bulb?  Would like to be enlightened      

Hi Robin, not completely sure why this aberration happened.  As you can see growing all around it are quite normal forms of Allium cernuum.  The area where these plants are growing is in front of a stone wall that separates my property from the narrow country street, an area that does get inundated with salted-sand debris from winter snow-plowing.  I just throw real tough stuff up in front of the wall, so there's no irrigation or feeding going on there (I don't feed my plants anyways, never have). 

My guess is, this is instability caused by some level of hybridization... many of the A. cernuum plants in my garden have crossed with numerous other collected forms of cernuum (it's a very diverse species), as well as hybridizing with a few other species. That said, it seems that certain odd characteristics become more common among my diverse gene pool.  I have had other Allium cernuum plants, which normally have about 30 florets, show up with inflorescences that are incredibly dense, up to 200 florets, but without the strange fasciated stems... just what I call "multi-flora" types.  In some of these, the multifloriferous characteristic is stable, in others, it'll show up one year, then return to normal in other years.  Weird.

[TheOnionMan]

Your H. syriacus 'Bluebird' is one of my favourite shrubs too and what a beauty you are growing in your garden - Wow   They grow well here in the Swiss mountains but not so perfectly 

The problem with H. syriacus 'Bluebird' is getting it true to name.  Most often seen in nurseries, it has been seed-grown, these plants are invariably inferior, with miserable yellowish-green foliage (deep green and fully developed in the real 'Bluebird'), and paltry small flowers 1/3rd the size of the large and sumptuous flowers of the true plant.  I've grown hundreds of seedlings myself, and the cultivar 100% reverts back to an inferior plant if grown from seed.  True 'Bluebird' is also a slow grower compared to many "Rose of Sharon" cultivars, another asset.  And, like most H. syriacus cultivars, they need (require) annual pruning to thwart the tendency for poorly branched willowy growth, responding very well to such pruning with increased branching, increased flowering, and compact growth.  Everyday from late July - October, I look out of my bedroom window and become astounded with the incredible bounty of large blue blooms. 

The new replacement for 'Bluebird' is called Hibiscus Blue Satin (a trademark name, real name is H. syriacus 'Marina', although you'll only find it as Blue Satin), which has much smaller deeper blue flowers that don't open as well (they stay funnel shaped), flowers that only last 1 day (they last 2 days with 'Bluebird'), less floriferous, inferior growth form, and not as hardy and showing lots of winter kill and die-back each year (whereas 'Bluebird' is 100% hardy).

[Ragged Robin]

All very interesting Mark, thanks for your detailed explanations...I shall look more closely at the Hibiscus growing here in the Alps this year.  They certainly are hardy! 

My interest in strange aberrations was initiated by a siamese cucumber that grew in our glasshouses as a child and I photographed it with my Brownie camera 

[Maggi Young]

True 'Bluebird' is also a slow grower compared to many "Rose of Sharon" cultivars, another asset.

McMark, surely  " Rose of Sharon" refers to Hypericum.... not Hibiscus    Well it does  in the UK, anyway.... another problem with naming , common or otherwise!

 Witness the "Hibiscus Blue Satin (a trademark name, real name is H. syriacus 'Marina'  ..... for goodness sake, if the name is Marina then why is that not trademarked for use rather than sonmething completely other? crazy business! 

[Diane Clement]

True 'Bluebird' is also a slow grower compared to many "Rose of Sharon" cultivars, another asset.

McMark, surely  " Rose of Sharon" refers to Hypericum.... not Hibiscus    Well it does  in the UK, anyway.... another problem with naming , common or otherwise! 

"Rose of Sharon" can be either Hibiscus or Hypericum, and according to the Wikipedia reference below: "the most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is Pancratium maritimum" 

Rose of Sharon

[Maggi Young]

True 'Bluebird' is also a slow grower compared to many "Rose of Sharon" cultivars, another asset.

McMark, surely  " Rose of Sharon" refers to Hypericum.... not Hibiscus    Well it does  in the UK, anyway.... another problem with naming , common or otherwise! 

"Rose of Sharon" can be either Hibiscus or Hypericum, and according to the Wikipedia reference below: "the most accepted interpretation for the Biblical reference is Pancratium maritimum" 

Rose of Sharon

Go figure, as they say!

This is  from that page: " # Hypericum calycinum, an evergreen flowering shrub native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and the plant generally referred to in British and Australian English as "Rose of Sharon"; and
# Hibiscus syriacus, a deciduous flowering shrub native to east Asia, the plant generally referred to in American English as "Rose of Sharon" and the national flower of South Korea. The specific epithet indicates that the plant was thought to originate from Syria.  " 


in British and Australian English  /in American English  ..... there we have it! 

[TheOnionMan]

This is  from that page: " # Hypericum calycinum, an evergreen flowering shrub native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia, and the plant generally referred to in British and Australian English as "Rose of Sharon"; and
# Hibiscus syriacus, a deciduous flowering shrub native to east Asia, the plant generally referred to in American English as "Rose of Sharon" and the national flower of South Korea. The specific epithet indicates that the plant was thought to originate from Syria.  " 
in British and Australian English  /in American English  ..... there we have it! 

That's what I like about this forum, a global perspective, and learning new things    I have never heard the name "Rose of Sharon" referring to Hypericum (and specifically, it seems, referring to Hypericum calycinum).  Just checked my volumes of Bean's Tree & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, and the common name is referenced for H. calycinum only, along with an alternate common name of Aaron's Beard.  In the US there's no ambiguity, Rose of Sharon stricky refers to the commonly planted Hibiscus syriacus.  I know you googled Rose of Sharon, doing so shows an overwhelming avalanche of hits for Hibiscus syriacus cultivars.

Speaking of Hypericum, another favorite genus of mine, so many fantastic native woody species here in the US, and of course, a genus well represented in many parts of the world.  Common name: St. John's Wort, now I'm going to have to research where this name came from.

[Diane Clement]

Speaking of Hypericum, another favorite genus of mine, so many fantastic native woody species here in the US, and of course, a genus well represented in many parts of the world.  Common name: St. John's Wort, now I'm going to have to research where this name came from. 

"The genus name Hypericum is derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture), in reference to the traditional use of the plant to ward off evil, by hanging plants over a religious icon in the house during St John's day. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Johns_Wort

[TheOnionMan]

Witness the "Hibiscus Blue Satin (a trademark name, real name is H. syriacus 'Marina'  ..... for goodness sake, if the name is Marina then why is that not trademarked for use rather than sonmething completely other? crazy business! 

This is a despicable marketing trend whereby old or existing cultivars are identified and rebranded with a new trade mark name!  In big-box or "lay-person" nurseries you'll sometimes see this, a plant bearing what appears to be a cultivar name but without quotes, then with the real cultivar name in small text and quotes included.  More often, the real cultivar name is not included.  It is hard enough keeping things straight between having one true botanical name and possibly several common names, now we have this nomenclature duplicity nonsense to deal with.

Here is one such laughable example.  All winter in grocery stores in the US, the florist departments have various potted campanulas for sale.  They are forced and way off season to plant out, so I typically ignore them, but this one I had to buy... check out the non-quoted plant name in the second photo... too funny!   .  Notice the tiny trademark symbol too.  And as usual, the roots were a solid block of peat, I had to soak and blast-hose the rock-like root ball to try to disengage the roots from the peat block, this familiar campanula struggled to recover all spring and summer.

[TheOnionMan]

"The genus name Hypericum is derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture), in reference to the traditional use of the plant to ward off evil, by hanging plants over a religious icon in the house during St John's day. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Johns_Wort

Equally ambiguous is what is meant by "St John's Day" 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Day

[Stephenb]

OK, here's my collection of deviant plants, fasciation, peloria, cresting whatever:

1) Allium nutans hybrid
2) Gentiana cruciata (peloric flower) - have also had a Digitalis purpurea do this (quite common I've heard)
3) Valeriana officinalis genetically modified to produce cauliflower
4) Primula viallii (at Wisley garden)
5) Senecio? - just a weed on the pavement next to the town hall, Eastleigh, Hants. Strangely for what I thought was mechanical damage there were a group of several plants with this fasciated appearance.
6) Chicory variety Witloof

Apologies, some of them have been posted before.

Why is it I like deviant plants so much? No, don't answer that one...

[TheOnionMan]

Stephen, you have an eagle eye!  I really like the bizarre formation on Primula viallii, made even funnier because it was at Wisley.

"Senecio? - just a weed on the pavement next to the town hall, Eastleigh, Hants."

Do you typically walk around with a camera just in case you come across a photo-worthy sight 
Three years ago I collected Aster cordifolius, pinched out from between a crack in a sidewalk in front of a police station, because it was flowering in December. I was investigating the apparent spread of flowering time in that species; in my garden it flowered in Sept-Oct time frame, well within the normal range of flowering times.

[Diane Clement]

Another one for the collection
Inula rhizocephala with fasciation