The record-union., 1897-03-28
THE COLOR or FLOWERS.
Important Relations Between Insects and
Plants.
Prof. Brown Says the Coloration OF
Flowers is Mainly Tiatter OF
Insect Attraction.

adeiphia recently lectured in that in
stitution on THE Color of Flowers
the Relation of Insects to Plants" in
which he said:
In the skunk cabbage the spathe has
other uses than the protection of the
young flower, else were coloration need
less. This color varies from green to
solid maroon, and its purpose is the at
traction of the little beetles to fertilize
the flowers
The stamens and pistils of the skunk
cabbage do not develop at the same
time, the pistil being the first, and the
small beetles, attracted by the colored
spathe, follow down its inside surface,
and, if having previously visited
flower where the anthers had shed their
pollen, they carry that pollen to their
present host and shed it upon the
young pistils exposed, thus fertilizing
the flower
The stamens and pistils of one species
of mallow (whose large petals attract
insects), are borne on one central stalk
-pistils atop and stamens below. Both
organs are developed at the same time,
but it is impossible for the plant to
fertilize itself because the stigma won't
come into contact with the stamens in
any possible way, hence the necessity
for a bee or other insect to transfer the
pollen from one flower to another The
bee becoming covered with the pollen
of the first flower will shed it upon the
stigma of the next visited and thus
fertilize it.
Insect life in the Arctic regions is
very limited, and to insure their at
cti ION Of 10
ceous plant) from Alaska has a row
of large petals. This plant, also the
geum novale, is utterly unable to fer
tilize itself, and demands insect help,
as in the skunk cabbage.
All Arctic flowers are very large in
comparison with the plants bearing
them.
The petals of a European species of
cinquefoil are scarcely visible; while
our own yellow cinquefoil is much
smaller than one from Alaska.
The Iceland poppy-so called-occurs
throughout the Arctic and outlying re-
gions of the Old and New Worlds.
COLORATION OF FLOWERS.
The coloration of flowers everywhere
IS mainly a matter of insect attraction,
no other function for the color being
known. The protection of the young
flower would not require it.
Various notifications of the floral
envelopes occur in plants fertilized by
the winds-such as the popiars and
similar trees-also grasses; in these
there are no conspicuous floral envel-
opes. There is practically no cOrolla.
fertilizations being through the agency
OF the wind.
The shape of the pollen grains in
wind -fertilized plants differs from that
in insect fertilized-the former having
their pollen grains very dry and light,
easily carried to great distances, while
those where the fertilization is by in
sects either have spines on them, or, in
4 majority of cases, channels running
1he whole length of the pollen grain, so
there is something to stick on the legs
or back or head of the insect.
Many plants have mechanical ar
engagements of the stamens so that they
Hviu throw the pollen on the insect en-
7ering the flower-common examples of
this occurring in all the plants of the
heath family, ericaceae.
4 striking example of spraying insect
visitants with pollen is found in the
mountain laurel-the kalmia-whOse
flower has nine or ten pockets. each
pocket with it's stamen, and when the
first flower opens each stamen is fast
ened in it's cup in the corolla. An in
sect visiting this flower and settling
down atop, releases. by its pressure, all
these stamens. and the pollen is thrown
out in great clouds on the under side
OF the insect. AL the pollen being dis
10 ~ he ant her
on the lower side of portion of its
perianth the pollina Ga species of iris)
presents a series Of hairs whose func-
ton is to direct insects to the nectary
The insect passes down and the pollen
is shed on its back (the pollen grains
being very large, and resembling in
form a grain Of wheat, and in entering
the next flower the pollen is busted off
its back upon the stigma en- route to
the nectary.
All through the Northern woods
.bounds the white orchard, with two
large leaves lying fiat on the surface Of
the ground All Of the orchids have
very interesting method of pollinatlon.
One species of orchid bears two sta
mems. the slightest pressure on which
causes an opening, exposing the pollen
mass. The orchid has a very glutin-
oue. sticky base. internally. One of the
sDhinx moths fertilizes it. being pos
sessed of a very long tongue. 1t SUCKS
its head into the throat Of the Hover
and two little mats Corning part OF
she pollen arrangemenD press the pol
len upon its head, and when it flies
away ii carries these pollen grains to
the next flower visited, where its head
comes in contact with the stigmatic
surface, and two of these pollen masses
7vo11Id suffice for the fertilization of a
number Of flowers.
FERTILIZED BY \ BEE.
One of the small varieties of buckle
berry is fertilized by a bee, which. com
ing underneath the flower and filling
his proboscis up in order to get the
honey. the flower throws a shower of
pollen in his face, to be carried to the
next host.
The aristolochia clematitis is visited
entirely by small flies or like insects
and is provided with hairs in the Gorilla
+,,be 10 keep the insect in. The hairs
all pointing downward it is easy for him
IN get in. but impossible to get out until
the flower is ready that he should. After
the stigrnas have passed the receptive
stage then the pollen is shed and the
insects imprisoned at the base freely
dusted Herewith. the hairs fall over
lose their strength and the top Of the
flower closes over so as not TO attract
further visitants. Then the prisoners
pass out and so TO the next plant.
In mass of flowers or aristolochia