There are a lot of alder trees around this specimen but their catkins are perfectly normal. The next step will be to see if the tree is fertile and, if so, what will happen to the next generation.Most of us have seen a plant that deviates from what we consider to be normal. It may have been a four-leaved clover or a white-flowered, red dead-nettle. In fact plant aberrations are more common that we realise. In many cases the aberration may just be an alternative form or it may be part of an ongoing genetic change. Of course it may just be a 'one off ' phenomenon. We will only gain an idea of what is happening by recording and observing these forms over a period of time.
I discovered an alder tree Alnus glutinosa on which more than half the catkins were fasciated. I have observed this tree over three seasons and each year the new catkins show the same deformities. There are a lot of alder trees around this specimen but their catkins are perfectly normal. The next step will be to see if the tree is fertile and, if so, what will happen to the next generation.
I have tested the fertility of the white sea-aster, Aster tripolium, an uncommon form of this normally bluish-purple flowered plant. All of the next generation were perfectly normal but their seeds gave rise to over 50% of the white flowered form. I am still experimenting to whether this is an inherited recessive feature.
One thing which I am very keen to hear about is the incidence of double flowered forms of the Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa. For my purposes any flower with 13 or more petals would count as double. I would like to know the exact location of the plant and whether it is white or pink. Any extra information such as whether the ground is wetter than the surrounding areas, etc., would be very helpful. As with all records, an accurate grid reference is vital.
The title for this article is taken from the name of an occasional Newsletter concerning native plant aberrations from the whole of the U.K. The instigator of this publication together with other interested parties hopes to make a worthwhile study of these plants. The first step will be to produce an atlas of recorded specimens. The newsletter costs £2.25p per three issues and is available from:Martin Crag-Barber, 1, Station Cottages, Hullavington, Nr Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN 14 6ET.
In any event your help with the project will be very much appreciated. You can send details of your finds to me. Please try to include as much information as is practical, including Grid references. Sketches or photographs are always helpful and if your find is very unusualI I will be pleased to take photographs of it.