46 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



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John Lovell gives a summary of the flower colors in North- 

 eastern America from which we learn that, of insect-pollinated 

 flowers, 955 are white, 790 are yellow, 257 red, 422 purple, and 

 325 blue. A similar ratio undoubtedly holds good for other 

 parts of the country, but our list of fragrant species shows 

 more than 80 that are white against less than 25 that are yel- 

 low, 45 pink (purple and red), and only 10 blue. What it is 

 that causes so many white flowers to be fragrant is a subject 

 for much ingenious speculation. It is known that white flow- 

 ers are most abundant in spring, but that fragrance is not 

 essential to successful existence is seen in the large number of 

 flowers of this color which are not fragrant. Concerning this 

 latter subject, however, it may be suggested that it is quite pos- 

 sible that all flowers may be fragrant to the bee. It is no sign 

 that flowers have no odors just because our blundering sense 

 of smell cannot detect any. Experiments bearing on this 

 phase of the matter are very much desired. Blue flowers are 

 said to be most pleasing to bees and it is possible that the pos- 

 session of favorable color enables blue flowers to dispense with 

 perfume, but here again, fragrance may be present and our nose 

 fail to detect it. 



Much interest naturally centers in those p'ants which have 

 been suggested for inclusion in the list but which for one reason 

 or another have been retained on the waiting list as it were. 

 Possibly some already admitted should be transferred to this 

 list. Many of these are undoubtedly odorous, but if we de- 

 fine fragrance as a pleasing odor, then man}- of them are cer- 

 tainlv not fragrant. Several observers have mentioned the 

 hawthorns {Crataegus) as fragrant, but it may be questioned 

 whether any of the species are really so. The same may be 

 said of the various wild cherries. In a somewhat similar 

 class should doubtless be placed the golden-rod and other spe- 

 cies which have, as one observer expressed it, "a sort of yel- 

 low smell." Many of the mints also have aromatic foliage. 



