, 1892-11-02


tributing their seeds, SO many gifts of a
bountiful Nature, not to man indeed, but to
the plants themselves, in order to enable them
to maintain the struggle for existence which
they. in common with all living things, are
compelled 10 make. AS an illustration of the
interesting CHARACTERS which the apparatus for
perfscting and distributing The seeds often
presents let us take one of the common milk
weeds. Most Of the species belonging to this
family are small and insignificant IN appear
ance. and all behave in the way now to be de
BcrIbed. The flowers of the species we have IN
mind, a slender little weed common III the
cane pieces, are very small, and grow IN little
heads, these heads again growing IN small
clusters. Each little head is enclosed ms green
cup spreading above into five tiny white dI-
visions forming a pretty little star to attract
insects to the flowers, and each division Is fur
nished with q small gland, yielding nectar, to
reward the insects on their ARRIVAL, and to make
it worth their while to continue their visit to
the flowers. The object 10 he attained III thus m
ducing insects to visit the flowers is to secure
that he insects, by coming into contact with
the dus or pollen from the male flowers, and
then CARVING it to the female flowers, shall
fertilise these, and thus cause the seed to
come to perfection. Now what happens IFirst
q IlLJIe female mower CDtlltS up Oul u tuC iGod,
and an insect running over it from some other
flower of the species brings pollen to %fertlllSe
the young seeds in the tiny seed bag below.
Some after this is done the female flower
grows up a little higher and then bends its
stalk right over, SO that the seed bag, which
is shortly to become the fruit Of the plant,
may be quite out of the way. Out OF the way
of what ? Why, the male flowers, which now
IN tbair turn .oDu,a m ont of thA same IEttIp
head, exposing their pollen to the insects, but
which the insects would not have been able to
brush against at all, if the female flo Eer had
not so kindly taken itself out Of the way by
the complete bending down Of its stalk. Tins,
the reader may say, is very striking and SO
it is but it is not the most remarkable part
of the story. The little heads, as we have SAID,
grow in clusters conseque ntly when the
Young uit turns itself Town in the way des-
cribed. it finds itself surrounded by the other
flower heads. This would be of little conse-
quence if it were not for one thing, and the
one thing is this, that the fruit is one Of that
sort which splits on drying and sends It's seeds
in all directions, a beautiful method OF dis
peIsing hem. Now it is clear that when the
little fruit is bent down, hidden away among
the flower heads, it's bursting there would DO
If hit { use to the plant, for the surrounding
heads and stalks + the cluster would at once
check tie seeds in their flight. ad they would
fall bafled to the ground Immediately be-
meath the plant. What then does the httlo
fruit do? Marvellous to relate, 1t erects itself
again to the position which for the sake OF The
male flowers it had resigned, and once more
stands quite upright. The male flowers, for
whose sake il had temporarily retired, are by
TINS time dead and gone, having served tier
purpose, and the fruit can no longer be in tho
way by standing upright, while by 30 doing 1t
gums for itself a clear field, and on bursting
sends lis seeds flying over The tops of the
other heads of the cluster, to find a growing
place several feet, or may be several yards,
away. Surely here we are in the presence ST
one Of the wonderful works of God yet 1t is
"onJy a Y weed