GENTIAN FAMILY 231 



When we realize that the Fringed Gentian 

 grows only from seed, requiring two seasons to 

 develop, we can easily see how it happens that 

 the plant is so often exterminated near villages. 

 The flowers are so beautiful that people feel they 

 must gather them, and so there is no chance for 

 the seed to develop to start the next year's plants. 

 If we are to enjoy the flowers year after year we 

 must leave enough of them on their stalks to 

 insure a crop of seed each season. 



OBSERVATIONS FOR NOTEBOOK 



Closed Gentian : 



(A) I. Where do you find the Closed Gentian grow- 

 ing? 



2. Is the soil wet or dry? 



3. What variation is there in the number of 



blossoms on a plant? 

 , 4. Are the flowers on a single plant always of the 



same color? 



5. Is the color around the outer end of the blos- 



som the same in young as it is in older 

 flowers ? 



6. Have you seen any bumble-bees visiting the 



flowers? 



7. Do you find any blossoms with holes eaten in 



the corolla, where bumble-bees have stolen 

 nectar before the flowers were fully de- 

 veloped ? 



8. Did the stamens mature before the pistils or 



vice versa? 



