Proliferation

Someone asked, what is the definition of proliferation, in Botany! According to a Taylor's 1934 text, it means the horticulturally useful attribute of many plants to produce offsets, bulbils, or other vegetative means of propagation. Proliferous organs and the tendency of some plants to proliferation are of the greatest value to the gardener who uses such parts to increase his stock, notably in the house-leek(offsets), some onions(bulbils), and in begonia(a proliferating leaf). Quite often, the ability to produce a new plant on an existing growing one furnishes the most interesting cases of proliferation. Sometimes a new plant will sprout directly from a growing leaf, as in Asplenium bulbiferum. And in at least one case a whole new crop of young plants will start from the leaf margin, as in the air plant. While proliferation can be induced by an injury, as in making a leaf cutting of begonia, the causes of natural proliferations are wholly unknown.




Now, as far the roses go, it is often genetic in nature and is fairly common in some rather recent rose varieties..the condition is most often exacerbated by high NITROGEN ferts, though some varieties seem to exhibit the behaviour in periods of natural vigorous growth as well! It is unsightly and unfortunate but sadly part of life when growing these varieties. Often the condition will lonly occur for a short time depending on CLIMACTIC CONDITIONS and the time of year. What actually occurs in the proliferation of roses is the growing of more than one bud, through the centre of the flower..this has been noticed in some of the Old Garden Roses as well! a lot to digest, ......Elaine

Boy, Elaine...that's a lot to chew on. This whole topic got started over the difference between proliferation & fasciation... I gather it's a sticky subject. Baa was going to do some research on that, so maybe she'll see this thread and offer a hand. I looked up the fern you mentioned, and found a example in photo of proliferation in this plant: http://www.home.aone.net.au/byzantium/ferns/descriptions/asplenium/aspbulb.html

Many of the daylily hybrids put out alot of proliferations. They look like the plant is growing a complete new baby along the flower stem. I think Indashade posted a picture on the daylily forum not too long ago... that even had a bloom.

Sorry it's been a busy couple of days.

That's a good overview 1601, thanks.

The proliferation under discussion was likely to be from a damaged bud. Clear layman terms of this kind of proliferation are fairly rare it seems you need a biology degree to understand all about the cell multiplication response to the damaged area that causes such a strange mutation in this sort of case. It's a big subject and not one easily explained in detail.

Perhaps we could just enter proliferation in Garden Terms with the definition "See fasciation". Then we could enter fasciation with the definition "See proliferation"! LOL.

Two different things WZ otherwise good idea!

yes, two different things, but just a bit of humor. I once had a discussion with someone about the difference between rabbits and hares. We looked up rabbit in my deskside dictionary, and the only definition was see 'hare'. So, I looked up hare and it said, see 'rabbit'. This just seemed like humorous way to deal with two things that are mistaken for one another.

I know it's a small world!!!!! Elaine