BSBINews - BSBI Archive - Botanical Society of the British Isles

Notes - Teratology - a revival? / The abortive 'Penguin' Flora of the British Isles 25
the lateral cones were, but the vegetative
growth of these uniquely aberrant colonies
was often the dominant ground cover in the
immediate localities. These polystachions
continue to thrive beyond a quarter of a century,
can reproduce themselves and can hold
their own in the wild against competition.
Jack felt that a plant bearing them was a good
candidate for varietal taxonomic status.
Whatever the rules for classification, it seems
to be a good example of potential evolution in
action, and Nature breaking her own pre-existing
patterns.
To conclude
Teratology is a subject which fascinates many,
has horticultural application and may have
potential for illuminating some developmental
and evolutionary processes. It is more common
now for the phenomena it studies to be treated
as part of the wider topic of plant variation.
Briggs and WaIters (1997), for instance, in their
textbook on variation, virtually ignore it.
Divisions between areas of study, are, however,
largely man-made and can change. Those who
work with fungi, for instance, used to be
botanists but are now mycologists. It is hoped
that publication of recent work in the area will
stimulate others to look for examples and to
record and draw and photograph them or press
and dry specimens - whatever the label under
which they operate. Contributions of this kind
should be sent to the editor of That Plant's
Odd: Martin Barber, 1 Station Cottages,
Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14
6ET (martin@ worldmutation. demon.co.uk)
(tel.: 07800 583999).
References:
BRIGGS, D. & WALTERS, SM. 1997. Plant
Variation and Evolution (3 rd ed.),
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
DE VRIES, H. 2005. Species and varieties:
their origin by mutation. Ebook #7234.
HESLOP-HARRISON, J. 1952. 'A reconsideration
of plant teratology'. Phyton 4: 19-34.
HOPKIRK, T. & CRAGG-BARBER, M. 1999.
Flora Anomala Updated. That Plant's Odd,
Chippenham.
MASTERS, M.T. 1869. Vegetable teratology:
an account of the principle deviations from
the usual construction of plants. Robert
Hardwicke, for the Ray Society, London.
*PRESLAND, J., OUVER, J. & BARBER, M.
2009. Abnormalities in plants. Wiltshire
Botanical Society, Bradford-on-Avon.
WORSDELL, W.C. 1915-1916. The principles
of plant teratology. Vols. 1 and 2. Ray
Society, London.
*Available from Summerfield Books.
The abortive 'Penguin' Flora of the British Isles
DAVID ALLEN, Lesney Cottage, Middle Road, Winchester, Hampshire, S022 5E]
Five years ago (in BSBI News 97: 61), Mary
Briggs expressed curiosity about an illustrated
'Flora of the British Isles' in an astonishing 20
volumes that had received passing mention in
the obituary in The Times of Frances Partridge,
the last surviving member of the 'Bloomsbury
Group', who had recently died at the impressive
age of 103. She found herself far from
alone in having never heard of such a venture
or, for that matter, of its would-be author.
In response to her note, however, several
members wrote to say that they had known
Mrs Partridge personally and were able to
confirm that she had continued to be an ardent
field botanist till well into her nineties. It also
turned out that another member even
possessed a proof copy of the first volume of
the publication in question, so it must have
proceeded at least that far (BSBI News 100:
57-58).
As a full-scale biography was reportedly in
preparation, it seemed likely that more would
be learned from that in due course about this
intriguingly little-known episode in the annals
of botanical literature. Four years later, that
prospective volume has now duly materialised,
with Ann Chisholm revealed as the
author; and, sure enough, between pages 203
and 221, at intervals, the sorry inside story can
at last be pieced together.
It transpires that the project had its birth in
1944 (not 1942, as stated in the obituary), and