I definitely do not think you should compost it! There is so much work being done with unusual forms, cristate, etc. I would certainly grow it along and see what happens with it.
Might you be able to guesstimate how often 'Barbara Mitchell' polys for you versus has perfectly normal flowers (not counting abnormal flowers that are not simple polys)?
Looking at the blooms I posted- Smugglers Gold is 5 and 5 with 2 pistils. Just a seriously poly bloom? Not a fused bloom?
In-between numbers and difficult to categorize. It could be a seriously poly bloom rather than a fused bloom. I expect that to identify what is happening would require sectioning the flower very thinly, staining the tissues and looking at slides under a microscope.
This is a seedling sent to me this year as a bonus by Pat Ball. It's doing some kind of streak or break thing. This is a great plant. Keeps opening multiple blooms, and it's beautiful!
Lovely!
