Cultivated -Plant Study 



611 



Photo by Verne Morton. 



"The summer's flower is to the 



summer sweet, 

 Though to itself it only live 



and die." 



Shakespeare 



THE BLEEDIXG HEART 



Teacher's Story 



For the intricate structure of this type of flower, the bleeding heart is 

 much more easily studied than its smaller wild sisters, the Dutchman's 

 breeches or squirrel corn ; therefore it is well to study these flowers when 

 we find them in profusion in our gardens, and the next spring we may 

 study the wildwood species more understandingly . 



The flowers of the bleeding heart are beautiful jewel-like pendants 

 arranged along the stem according to their age ; the mature flower, ready 

 to shed its petals, is near the main stem, while the tiny unopened bud is 

 hung at the very tip, where new buds are constantly being formed during a 



long season of bloom. This 

 flower has a strange modifi- 

 cation of its petals; the two 

 pink outer ones, which make 

 the heart, are really little 

 pitchers with nectar at their 

 bottoms, and although they 

 hang mouth downwards the 

 nectar does not flow out. 

 AVhen these outer petals are 

 removed, we can see the 

 inner pair placed opposite to 

 them, the two of them close 

 together and facing each 

 other like two grooved ladles. 

 Just at the mouth of the 

 pitchers these inner petals 

 are almost divided cross- 

 wise; and the parts that extend beyond are spoon-shaped, like the bowls 

 of two spoons which have been pinched out so as to make a wide, flat 



/, Flower of bleeding heart with swing-door 

 ajar. 2, Side-view of flower showing the broad 

 tips of the inner petals, j, Flower with outer 

 petals removed showing inner petals and the 

 heart-shaped bases of the stamens. 



