PRAIRIE-FLOWERS OF EARLY SPRING. 91 



is designed for some other flower, and the presence of nectar and 

 proboscis-canals, as well as a fine landing-place for the bee, at the base 

 of the hanging corolla, are all to secure cross-fertilization. This little 

 species has worked out the problem in a most interesting way, and 

 doubtless the insects have had much to do with determining these 

 final results. 



The box-elder and the silver-maple began blooming on April 16th. 

 There is no evident relation between size of plant and extent of floral 

 structure. Some Alpine gentians have flowers an inch long, while the 

 balance of the plant is shorter and probably has less weight than the 

 single blossom it bears. The most wonderful flower of all is that of 

 Hafflesia Arnoldi, which sometimes measures nine feet in circumfer- 

 ence and weighs fifteen pounds. These monstrous blossoms are almost 

 without stem, being sessile (sitting) upon the branch of the vine from 

 which as a parasite the flower derives its nourishment. In striking 

 contrast with this obese robber the stately and independent silver-ma- 

 ple has inconspicuous flowers that might be readily overlooked if they 

 did not appear before the foliage. The genus Acer, to which the silver 

 or soft maple belongs, is very variable in this last point. Some species, 

 like the one in hand {Acer dasycarpum, Eh.), flower before unfolding 

 the leaves ; others, like the highly prized sugar-maple, have the flowers 

 and leaves appear at the same time ; while others are laggards, and bring 

 forth their blossoms after the leaves are fully formed and busy with 

 their work. The same differences hold as to the time of ripening the 

 seeds. The silver-maple has its seeds ready for the last breezes of 

 May, and upon the large wing each little plantlet takes an airing that 

 the thoughtful student watches with much delight. If the breeze is 

 strong, the seed passes along with the unsteady and rapid progress of 

 a butterfly, usually with a downward course from the tree-top, where 

 it was borne, but sometimes it rises and hastens on, perhaps to fall on 

 rich soil a hundred rods from the parent tree. Each of these winged 

 fruits bears a single seed within, and as the fruit falls upon the ground 

 the heavy end strikes first, thus bringing the root of the little plantlet 

 in the best position for rapid development. When the fruits fall upon 

 sod-ground, the condition that often obtains in Nature, the passing 

 breezes play upon the uplifted wing and tend to work the heavy seed 

 end of the fruit into the turf. Under favorable conditions the soft- 

 maple seeds germinate at once, and, before the season closes, seedlings 

 a foot or two in height may be produced. The late-flowering maples 

 do not make any such progress, and seem satisfied if they simply secure 

 a good crop of seeds. In order to test the importance of the soft-ma- 

 ple seeds obtaining a suitable place for germination as soon as they are 

 mature, a quantity were gathered and stored in a dry place, where 

 other seeds are kept. A year after they were sown in rich, moist soil, 

 alongside of a row freshly gathered from under the same trees. None 

 of the year-old seeds grew, while the fresh ones soon sent up their 



