STAMENS AND PISTILS. 191 



On the contrary, the trees of cold climates have gen- 

 erally separated flowers, blossoming before the leaves 

 come forth, and in a windy season of the year ; while 

 those which blossom later, as the Oak, are either pe- 

 culiarly frequented by insects, or, like the numerous 

 kinds of Fir, have leaves so little in the way, and pollen 

 so excessively abundant that impregnation can scarcely 

 fail. 



The pollen and the stigma are always in perfection 

 at the same time, the latter commonly withering and 

 falling off a little after the anthers, though the style 

 may remain to become an ufeful appendage to the fruit. 

 The Pansy, the Martynia, and many plants besides, 

 have been observed to be furnished with a stigma 

 gaping only at the time when the pollen is ripe. The 

 beautiful Jacobean Lily, Amaryllis formosissima, is 

 justly described by Linnaeus as provided with a drop of 

 clear liquid, which protrudes every morning from the 

 stigma, and about nooihseems almost ready to fall to the 

 ground. It is however re-absorbed in the afternoon, 

 having received the pollen whose vapour renders it 

 turbid, and whose minute husks afterwards remain up- 

 on the stigma. The same phenomenon takes place 

 several successive days. 



In opposition to similar facts, proving the synchro- 

 nous operation of these organs, Pontedera has, with 

 more observation than usual, remarked that in the um- 

 belliferous tribe the style frequently does not appear 

 till the anthers are fallen. But he ought to have per- 

 ceived that the stigma is previously perfected, and that 

 the style seems to grow out afterwards, in a recurved 

 and divaricated form, for the purpose of providing 

 hooks to the seeds. It is also observable that in this 

 family the several organs are sometimes brought to per- 



