THE STORY OF SOME COMMON PLANTS. 151 



to the attractiveness of the flower. It is also extremely viscid. Both 

 stamens and style are very variable in length ; and thereby hangs a 

 tale, which as yet can be only half told. 



This variability in length of style and stamens leads to there being 

 three forms of flowers, which may be distinguished as (a] the long- 

 styled, where the stigma projects far beyond the mouth of the funnel, 

 within which the stamens lie hidden ; (b) the short-styled, where the 

 filaments are long, and almost equal the quite short and but slightly 

 projecting style ; and (c) the mid-styled, which is a form intermediate 

 between the other two. 



These different forms of flower are not without an object. Experi- 

 mentally it has been found that in many cases it is advantageous 

 for a flower to be fertilised with pollen other than its own, and ample 

 provision is made in nature for such cross-fertilisation,* as it is called. 

 In the case of F. excorticata the pollen of the long-styled form is usually 

 immature or wanting in other words, the flower is a female one. 

 On the contrary, the short- and mid-styled flowers produce an abund- 

 ance of serviceable pollen. The transmission of the pollen from one 

 flower to another, so frequently the work of insects or the wind, is 

 here performed by birds, especially the bell-bird and tui, whose heads 

 become dyed blue with the sticky pollen as they pass from blossom 

 to blossom in their greedy eagerness for the honey therein contained. 

 The birds' work in time becomes manifest, through the long-styled 

 flowers producing berries ; whereas the short- and mid-styled flowers 

 appear to be incapable of fertilisation from their own pollen, and 

 bear but few berries. The above are the general details as stated in 

 the ' : Forest Flora " ; but the whole matter requires fresh investiga- 

 tion, and especially experiments conducted regarding the powers of 

 self-fertilisation of the short- and mid-styled flowers. 



The fruits of the fuchsia are a favourite food of the pigeon and 

 kaka, and the seeds are distributed far and wide by these birds. They 

 are insipid, but not unpleasing, especially to a youthful palate. To 

 the Maori thev were a welcome change of diet in a countrv devoid 



*/ d? / 



of luscious fruits, and a special name, ' konini," was applied to 

 them. 



The timber of the fuchsia is almost indestructible. It is extremely 

 strong and tough, but the gnarled trunk is of little value commercially. 



* See also Chapter III, re fertilisation of flowers. 

 11 Plants. 



