Fasciation is when a plant's stem widens out to be abnormally wide instead of round. Here is a small example. The photo on the right is a normal foxglove after blooming. The one on the left is the fasciated top, - the usual place where fasication is found.
The cause of this phenomena is not understood. Reasons for this freak event include: damage to the apical bud [tip]; viruses; herbicides [which surely doesn’t happen in the wild where I have found the most examples]; bacterial infection; cytokinin that appears to have the ability to stimulate the proliferation of a wide spectrum of cell that is found in the xylem. Cytokinin is thought to proliferate cells in the plant; spontaneous mutations; bacterial infection, mite or insect attack; or chemical or mechanical damage. Some plants may inherit the trait.
Among the examples in my collection are: Echium fastuosum [Pride of Madera], an oak stem [it’s rare to find fasciation in hardwoods like oaks], cockscomb celosia [Celosia argentea var. cristata is one of the few plants that passes the mutation on as a true “fixed” fasciation], and evening primrose [Oenothera spp.].
Let me know if you've found a fasciated plant.
Please post a comment - I want to know what you think.
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Posted by Robert Kourik at 7:43 AM 0 comments Labels: Echium, fasciation
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Jumped to today's post from the post you wrote in 2008 about non-rules or eccentric gardening.
ReplyDeleteI will be taking you up on the book offer in October....and look forward to knowledge in that area as well as so many others on your blog ;)
I'm planning to take a Master Gardener's course in my area -- as a way to connect with local gardeners and community projects mainly....but am looking forward to being surprised at what else the course might provide.
I'm glad to have a name to put to this phenomenon. I have seen it many times in my garden, most often in foxglove and evening primrose but also in larkspur, ageratum, celosia and marigold. The most impressive specimen I have seen was an evening primrose nearly a foot across at its widest point.
ReplyDeleteYour style is so attractive compared to many other people. Thank you for publishing when you have the opportunity,Guess I will just make this bookmarked.
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I see fasciation on Texas mountain laurels (Sophora secundiflora) from time to time. It's pretty weird looking.
ReplyDeleteI see fasciation on a few of our pine trees (we are 3000 ft elevation) and in the garden. Zuchinni, cucumber in particular. I never knew what the name was until now. I thought it was caused by a soil virus or bacteria. We have decomposed granite soil and had worse trouble with it in the garden when we were developing our soil. I rarely see it anymore. The ponderosa pines develop these super thick branches with lots of wierd needle growth, like a cock's comb.
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