THE PLANT WORLD UNDLR CARL. 



455 



the bud tightly closed until the Fork- 

 like cluster of red stamens is fully 

 grown, when it presses like so many 

 finger ends against the inside of the 

 corolla and the petals fly back like 

 magic l"n>m their neat little pockets. 

 The bud at the right stage of develop- 

 ment may be artificially opened by 

 pressing one's fingers against a petal. 

 It is interesting to note that the ex- 

 treme tips of these red petals, where 

 they were imprisoned in the bud, re- 

 main colorless and that the flower 



But the spider flower ((.'Iconic pun- 

 gens) is decidedly opposed to this ar- 

 rangement. The stamens "pull out 

 backwards" from the closely folded 

 petals that open after the stamens are 

 nearly if not fully extended. It is in- 

 teresting to watch the steps in this 

 peculiar process yet, although every 

 phase be closely examined, it is diffi- 

 cult to discover just how the force is 

 applied which pulls the stamens out 

 and why the planl has so astonishing 

 a habit. 



THE TWIN FLOWERS OF THE AMARYLLIS. 



opens at night as if to welcome some 

 nocturnal insect visitor from its native 

 land. In a warm climate where heavy 

 downpours of rain are of frequent oc- 

 currence, this little hinge-like device 

 of the petals prevents the flower cup 

 from being shaken out by the wind be- 

 fore the pollen has ripened. 



STAMENS THAT PRECEDE THE PETALS. 



One naturally thinks of the unrold- 

 ing flower as opening the perianth be- 

 fore even a portion of the reproductive 

 parts becomes visible. With the co- 

 rolla wrapped closely around the sta- 

 mens, it wotdd seem to be the most 

 logical order for the petals to be the 

 first to unfold. 



It is, however, probably due to their 

 exceedingly rapid growth and to the 

 constant resistance of the folded pe- 

 tals. The stamens, being held firmly 

 at one end by the petals which are as 

 firmly and obstinately rolled together, 

 ceaselessly lengthen, until relief and 

 freedom can be obtained only by burst- 

 ing out at the side in the form of a 

 curved spring which adds the force 

 of its resilience to the stubborn resis- 

 tance of the petals, the stamens finally 

 escaping and leaving the petals still 

 unfolded. 



dhe Cleome is easily grown and is 

 regarded as one of the best of our 

 honey plants. The petals, which are of 

 a lovely pink color, varying to white,. 



