86 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 



Ricketts, Miss E. M. Isaacs, Miss Long, Mrs. J. W, 

 Stewart, Mrs. U. A. Budd, Mrs. J. H. Cohen, Miss M. B, 

 Strassburger, the teachers of school No. 7 and the princi- 

 pals, Mr. Wm. H. Kottman and xMiss C. N. Davis. 



New York City, N. Y. 



BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS— Xlil. 



EVOLUTION OF THE FLOWER. 



The little Lemnas or duckmeats found floating on the 

 surface of quiet waters are among the smallest of flower- 

 ing plants; but there are flowerless plants so small that 

 they consist of a single cell and to be seen must be viewed 

 through a microscope. It is along stretch from these tiny 

 one-celled plants to the giants of the forest with uncounted 

 billions of cells, but it is well known that the gap between 

 is bridged b^^ a multitude of plant forms that show a 

 gradual increase in the complexity of their structure and 

 indicate that even the most highly developed of plants 

 have gradually been evolved from the lowly microscopic 

 forms. 



At this point we need not be concerned about the 

 evolution of the first flowering plants, but may give some 

 attention to the way in which the highest flowers have be- 

 come specialized from these primitive types. It is certain 

 that the first flowers were far less perfect and beautiful 

 than those to be found at present. Indeed, since the early 

 flow^ers were wind pollinated, it is likeh' that they were 

 mere assemblages of pistils and stamens, such as we now 

 see in the oaks, walnuts and others. Petals seem to have 

 been an after-thought developed when the flowers found 

 pollination by bees and other insects desirable. 



There are several lines along which the flower has been 

 evolved and it will be found most interesting to interro- 

 gate even the common flowers as to their position in the 

 world as shown by their structure. Since entomophilous 

 or insect pollinated flowers appeared later than anemo- 

 philous or wind-pollinated ones, and since entomophilous 

 flow^ers are noted for their display of color, the ver^'- fact 



