This is the flower which has formed from two failing to separate.

This is the flower which has formed from two failing to separate.

{{!gwi}}

two heads on one stalk

This post was edited by DaisyChain212 on Sat, Sep 28, 13 at 10:10

The sunflower plant grown from one seed, providing several different flowers, of different make up.

In the classroom we were taught a virus could do this. I don't know what the real world thinks of the virus theory.

Hi albert_135 - would it be a virus affecting the original seed's development, or from the soil or air during growth of the plant? Will the seeds produced from all these strange flowers be affected and reproduce the mutated flowers?

In my experience, you'll see this from one of two things. A nitrogen deficiency or excessive stalk stroking. Either way, it makes for an unique sunflower.

WeedaBix , are you a cereal stalker? Seriously, Californian sunflower seeds are a mystery unto themselves.

"Siamese twin" flowerhead, petals opening

Hi, DaisyChain,

Interesting pictures. I have never seen anything like your picture of the big sunflower with the little sunflowers growing out of it. I assume you will be saving seeds to see what they will do next year.

I had a similar experience to your double-headed sunflower with a zinnia a couple of years ago, and this is a picture of it.

As an amateur zinnia breeder, I tend to be attracted to anything different. However, I have come to regret saving those seeds, because now it is fairly common to find a zinnia with a "broken" head, and I now cull and discard those. I have seen zinnia blooms with as many as five little heads all crowded into the same bloom. I don't think the broken heads are particularly attractive, and they now seem like a defect to me.

But freaky flowers are still interesting. I just don't want them in my garden.

ZM

A further bloom on the same plant has opened, and it has some extra petals - this plant is producing many variations on the theme, and I'd love to know how it does this, and how the different defects are possible from one seed. Zenman - thanks for the photo of the Zinnia - I'm intending to keep the seeds from each flower separately, to see what happens next year !

This post was edited by DaisyChain212 on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 5:31

The main leaves have been stripped away, due to a snail picnic !