25th July 2026

This strangely deformed Spear Thistle flower head seen at Gt Pedding farm, may be the result of a process called fasciation. This could be the result of a genetic mutation. It could be environmental stress or contact with a herbicide. Or, it may have been caused by an insect attack or infection from a bacterium. The flowers on this stem of the plant seem to be fused together, the rest are normal.

Deformed Spear Thistle