Fig. 2. The cup phenotype in escape shoots. Wild-type stem, leaf, flower, carpel and ovules are shown for comparison (A,E,I,K,M). After a highly variable period of time most cup plants produce an escape shoot, which is not topped by a cup but which shows a series of characteristic abnormalities. Fusions between adjacent petioles at nodes (B) and between adjacent leaves (C,F,G) are clearly visible in adult cup plants. The lack of side shoots and spiral of fused bracts in the inflorescence can be seen in mature plants (D), eventually leading to a loss of meristem organisation and fasciation (H). Occasionally flowers are formed (H,J), although these are deformed (J) and contain organ fusions (J,L). Adjacent ovules in cup mutants are also often fused (arrow in N). cup-1 mutant flowers are always female sterile and usually male sterile. Scale bars in M and N: 0.1 mm.