THE rRESERVATION OF WILD FLOWERS. 



253 



renders llioni unlikely to be destro3^cd by too much picking, while the 

 strikingly beautiful ones fall prey to thoughtless collectors. Others, 

 on account of their protective coloration, escape the notice of wild 

 flower gatherers or browsing cattle. The disagreeable odor of the 

 skunk cabbage, the bitter taste of the crowfoots, the poisonous prop- 

 erties of various members of the parsley and nightshade families, and 

 the stinging glands of the nettles prevent animals from repeating un- 

 pleasant experiences with them. 



The power to produce, through a long season, many flowers, bearing 

 many seeds, well adapted for dissemination and germination, under 

 ordinary conditions, is the height of plant differentiation for pre- 

 servation of species. A consideration of some Xew England wild 



Floweeing Dogwood (Cornus florida). 



flowers will serve as specific illustrations of the way in which plants 

 are self protected and the reasons why they require other aid in order 

 that preservation may be insured. 



In the early days of April the bloodroot pushes itself through the 

 ground, each flower-bud rolled in a green leaf. The leaf unrolls some- 

 what ; the flower pushes itself through it up into the air. The delicate 

 calyx drops off and the corolla of pure white petals spreads itself out 

 surrounding a cluster of golden yellow stamens, in the center of which 

 is the pistil. After a few days the stamens wither up, the petals drop 

 off and the pistil, if fertilized, remains, growing larger and larger 

 until the ovules within it are matured. Then the work of the plant, 

 along the line of perpetuation of its kind, is over for a year. The 

 unfolded leaves expand more and more on their lengthened petioles 

 and spread themselves out into the light and air. They then continue 



