It's a hard old life!

Goodness knows that we humans have our share of troubles to bear. But spare a thought for the poor plants. This sad specimen has been attacked by leaf mining insects and hungry caterpillars and has suffered a nasty attack of leaf roll gall.

I'm very far from being an expert on galls but I think that this might be the work the gall midge Wachtliella persicariae. The gall takes the form of marginal rolls, usually on both sides of the leaf which become markedly thickened and often spirally or otherwise contorted. Often several leaves at the shoot tip are affected.