THE FLOWER. 2$ 



Willows, the Grasses, Plantain or Soldiers (^Plantago)^ 

 and the Meadow Rue (yTJialictrnui). It is doubtful if 

 any of these plants are entirely confined to wind 

 pollination. Thus Bees often gather pollen from the 

 Willows and Plantago. The pretty colour of the 

 anthers or pollen sacks in Thalictrum and some grasses 

 would lead one to expect that flies visit them, and this 

 can easily be proved by watching, e.g. Sweet Vernal 

 Grass or any of the Meadow Rues, when they are in 

 the pollinating state. A fly, apparently Anthomyia, 

 was distinctly seen by the author using its proboscis 

 upon the anthers of Anthoxanthum. Pine pollen under 

 the microscope is seen to be well suited to wind carriage. 

 Two small swellings, which are little balloons to float 

 the grain of pollen, are found on each side. In the 

 grasses also the stalks of the stamens are very long and 

 hang freely out in the air : the stigmas are very long 

 and covered by long hairs, so as to increase the pollen- 

 catching surface. The pollen collects, too, in a little 

 spoon-like curve at the base of the anther, and is only 

 blown away when there is a wind strong enough to carry 

 it a great distance. 



A very obvious method of ensuring a cross in these 

 wind flowers, is for stamens only to be formed in one 

 flower, or even on one plant, whilst only carpels are 

 produced by other flowers, or even plants. This is the 

 case in many of our catkin-bearing trees, such as oaks, 

 willows, and so on. 



(xi.) Those plants which have been obliged to live 

 submerged in the water sometimes show peculiar modi- 

 fications. The Sea Grass {Zostera) has its pollen of the 

 same specific gravity as water, so that it can float freely 

 in any direction, and thus be carried to the stigma. Tlie 

 Hornwort {Ceratophylhun) has anthers which are full of 



