Cultivated-Plant Study 643 



5. Study a freshly opened flower, and describe the position and 

 appearance of the anthers and stigma. Do they remain in these relative 

 positions after the flower is old ? 



6. Cut open a flower, slitting it along the upper side. Describe the 

 stamens and how they are attached. Is the pistil attached in the same 

 manner? Where is the nectar? Thrust a slender pencil or a toothpick 

 into the tube of a fresh flower. Does this spread the anthers apart and 

 move them around? When it is withdrawn, is there pollen on it? Can 

 you see in your open flower the mechanism by which the pollen is dusted 

 on the object thrust into the flower? 



7. What insects have tongues sufficiently long to reach the nectar- 

 well at the bottom of the petunia flower? At what time do these insects 

 fly? At what time of day do most of the petunia flowers open? Visit the 

 petunia beds in the twilight, and note whether there are any insects visit- 

 ing them. What insects do you find visiting these flowers during the day ? 



8. Sketch or describe the leaves of the petunia. How do the leaves 

 feel ? Look at a leaf with a lens and note the fringe of hair along its edges. 

 Describe the veining of the leaf. 



9. Describe the petunia stems. Are they stout or slender? How do 

 they feel? With what are they covered? Where do the flower stems 

 come off the main stalk ? 



10. Describe or sketch a flower-bud just ready to open. How are the 

 tips of the lobes folded? How long does the flower remain in bloom? 

 What is the first sign of its fading? 



11. Describe the seed-capsule. Where does it open? Are the seeds 

 many or few, large or small? What is their color when ripe? When 

 examined with a lens, have they any pits or markings? 



THE HORSESHOE GERANIUM 



Teacher's Story 



The geraniums perhaps do more to brighten the world than almost any 

 other cultivated flowers. They will grow for every one, whether for the 

 gardener in the conservatory of the rich, or in a tin can on the windowsill 



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of the crowded tenement of the poor. And it is interesting to know that 

 this common plant has a cultivated ancestry of two hundred years' 

 standing. These geraniums, which are really not geraniums botanically 

 but are pelargoniums, originally came from southern Africa, and the two 

 ancestors of our common bedding geraniums were introduced into England 

 in 1710 and 1714. 



The geranium is of special value to the teacher, since it is available for 

 study at any season of the year, and has a most interesting blossom. The 

 single-flowered varieties should be used for this lesson, since the blossoms 

 that are double have lost their original form. Moreover, the geranium's 

 blossom is so simple that it is of special value as a subject for a beginning 

 lesson in teaching the parts of a flower; and its leaves and stems may 

 likewise be used for the first lessons in plant structure. 



The stem is thick and fleshy , and is downy on the new growth ; there is 

 much food stored in these stems, which accounts for the readiness with 

 which cuttings from them will grow. Wherever a leaf comes off the stem, 

 it is guarded by two stipules at the base; these stipules often remain after 



