The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03


plant or tree TO another. In the pine and
fir tribe the wind is a fertilizing agent.
! Clouds OF yellow pollen. caught up by the
breeze, are blown from one forest 10 an
other. and are showered down upon the
cones bearing the pistils. In some cases
tons Of this pollen are lost II blown out OF
the proper direction by contrary winds. In
wind-fertilized plants we generally find an
absence Of conspicuous flowers and we also
know that the pollen Is produced in far
greater quantity than in other plants while
IL is Of a very light and powdery descrip-
ton. The pstils Of such plants either
| exposed IN such way that the pollen snail
| be readily caught, or they possess means.
in the shape Of feathery tufts OF sticky pro-
| jections for causing its adherence when
caught.
COLOR AND SHAPE OF FLOWERS.
II, however we turn our attention TO ordi-
nary plants possessing conspicuous flowers
We begin TO question whether the flowers
should be colored at all. In a word. the
/ color Of the flower serves 10 attract insects
/ which may be considered here TO be the
veritable ministers OF the plant kingdom.
I 1 might go further and say with truth that
/ everything about a fiower-its color, its size.
its shape or form, the arrangement OF the
/ flowers on the stalk the periods OF opening
and shutting and other characterisJics-is
| intended TO facilitate the work of fertiliza-
| ton by insects. If we glance at certain
flowers which have peculiar shapes, such
as those of the pea tribe. the orchids. the
dead nettles and the like, possessing as they
do very irregularly shaped flowers. we may
| predict that they are all fortified by in
sects. The very peculiarities Of shape in
| he a
visits of insects. and. what is more TO the
point. by the visits of particular kinds OF
insects. The insects are attracted TO the
flowers by color but they obtain special
/ reward for their unconscious service TO the
plant world. In other words, the real at
traction for the insect is the honey which
the flower has to offer IL, and we find the
| honey placed in flowers in such situations
that in the act Of obtaining il the insect has
| TO rub its body, one part or the other
against the stamens TO obtain the pollen.
and in turn also TO come in contact with
| the pistil of another flower by way OF fer
tilizing il with the pollen so obtained. In
the case OF the primrose we find a most ex-
celent example, first Investigated by
Darwin, of the manner in which cross
fertilization is brought about. There
are two kinds OF primroses, long
styled and short-styled. These grow on
different roots; in other words, in each
primrose the plant has its flowers either all
long styled all short styled. Now. II an
insect visits a short-styled primrose. first
| it will have it's tongue busted with pollen
near the base Of the tongue or the part
next the head. If now il visits a long-styled
| flower the pollen on the tongue will come
exactly in contact with the pistil of this
/
will be busted lower down by the stamens
of the long-styled variety. which stu
ated lown down within the tube OF the
flower. If next it visits a short-stylSd-
flower, the pollen from the Tong-seyfed
species will be conveyed to the pistil OF the
| short-styled variety. Thus I'm the primrose
we see how. by placing the stamens and
pistil at different levels in the two kinds OF
| flowers, Decentralization is secured.
In addition to wind and TO insects. plants
may utilize certain birds. such hum
ming birds, and sometimes currents OF rum
ming water, as in the case Of aquatic plants,
to convey the pollen from one flower to an
other and so bring about cross-fertiliza-
ton. 1t is conceivable, of course. that some
flowers which lay themselves out for the
purpose of Decentralization by insects
might escape the attentions they desire.
Here comes into play the principle l have
already noted, namely, that il the flower
is not successful in obtaining cross-fertili-
cation it is forced to be content with the
other process-that OF using its own pollen
to fertilize its own ovules. One Of the best
examples of this is found in a species OF
Myosotis, popularity known as the Forget
me-Not In this case the pistn projects
right out OF the flower, and therefore offers
a likely object which an insect will touch
and fertilize with pollen obtained from an
other plant OF the same species. II it is
thus fortified, the work OF the flower has
been accomplished, but If the pistil does
not receive the pollen brought from another
flower then nature. on the principle OF half
a loaf being better than no bread, insures
that the seeds shall not be wasted For
the flower gradually elongates, and the
stamens. which were at first low down. are
brought on a level with the pistil. so that
when the stamens shed their pollen the
flower. if not already fertilized by insects.
will fertilize itself.
EXTRAORDINARY ILLUSTRATIONS.
The dependence Of certain plants on GER
tain insects is well known. Some Insects
will visit variety OF flowers; others con-
fine their attentions to certain species, or IL
may be TO one species. Glover cannot be
fertilized, and therefore will produce no
seeds unless visited by humble bees IL
these insects do not exist in a particular
! locality no clover seeds Will be found. This
was the case in New Zealand when clover
was first introduced into the islands. The
| importation OF humble bees, however, re-
suited IN the perfection OF the clover crop.
Still more extraordinary was the case OF a
certain Madagascar orchid. This flower wes
noted 10 possess a structure, the main fsa-
ture OF which was the presence OF the honey
! at the end OF nectary. 50 long tcat when
| examined the manner OF its fertilization
| constituted a puzzle TO botanists. for no In
| sect was known with proboscis sufficient
| ly long 10 reach the honey store. Years
| after its discovery a specimen was found
/ with large moth upon IL engaged in the
| work Of fertilization. This moth was found
| TO possess a tongue OF the required length.
/ 1t can, therefore, be seen that the extnc-
ton OF the insect in this particular Csc
would probably mean the extinction OF he
plant itself.
| From this brief sketch Of a very wide and
/ interesting subject IL may be imagined that
I nature has some definite object IA view In
/ thus faVoring cross fertilization. That OBJ
N.wH. HHHn.aH ZION