202 DASA 2019-2 WARREN: So that you were wondering about the neutron effects? DONALDSON: Well, over the years we have recorded a number of variants from the normal, particularly among the plants. We don't know whether this is induced somatic variation or whether it's inherent. We don't see them now. They probably were unable to survive. Of course, we do see variations, At one time Dr. St. John (Reference 40) counted as many as 23 variants on one island. But these have not been reproducible in the laboratory. WOLFE: In answer to that, that flattening of the stems; that's called fasciation, And that's not an uncommen thing, You can find it in all of the vascular plants if you look long enough; I've seen it mostly in the composites and it has nothing to do with radiation, although radiation might induce it. WARREN: Whatis it due to, do you know? WOLFE: It can result from insect bite or gall or sometimes there's no obvious answer. You can't attribute it to an insect; it may be due to some damage at the meristem, the growing tip where youdon't get the radial development and it flattens ont. I think this can be brought about. But it also occurs naturally. WARREN: Would nutritional acceleration or acceleration from excess nutritional factors produce it? WOLFE: [don’t know. WARREN: I've got a cucumber plant that's about 30 feet long and the stems show this and I wondered if they had been exposing the seeds to neutrons to produce the new variety. It's a lemon variety which is quite unusual, FREMONT-SMITH: [Laughter] BRUES: WOLFE: It was just exposed to you, Staff; that was it! That's the California climate! I would not say radiation could not cause it but I would also point out that it could be caused by other things, WARREN: Three inches wide and about a half-inch thick in a cucurmber plant is quite large.