78 



SAGACITY AND MORALITY OF PLANTS. 



devices, and are monoecious and dioecious as well. 

 In their case self-fertilisation is absolutely impossible, 

 and floral sagacity reaches its highest water-mark. 



Certain flowers, such as the Primrose family, 

 manifest such an abhorrence of self-fertilisation that 

 their own pollen appears to act almost like poison 



Fig. 25. — Common Primrose. 

 Pin centre. 



Fig. 26. — Common Primrose. 

 Rose centre. 



to their pistils ! Some species prefer to be fertilised 

 by the pollen of another species, and to produce 

 hybrids, rather than be fecundated with pollen pro- 

 duced by the stamens of the same flower. 



Hardly any other term than diplomacy so well 

 expresses the means by which certain kinds of 

 flowers have even altered the positions and shapes 



