126 JSotanis 



of young lovers of plants, years ago. In regard to 

 stamens and pistils the good author discoursed some- 

 what on this wise: "It is of immense importance 

 that the pollen of each flower should reach tlie pistils 

 of that flower, and it is well to notice how tliis ol)ject 

 is secured. In flowers where the pistil is the longer 

 the blossom hangs downward, so that when the 

 anthers are ripe the pollen will be shed upon the 

 stigma. Where the pistil is shorter than the stamens 

 the flower is erect, so that the pollen will still drop 

 from the stamens directly upon the pistil. For an 

 example of flowers with pistils longer than the sta- 

 mens examine the lily." This was the substance if 

 not the letter of the work, and one accordingly " exam- 

 ined the lily " and was filled with admiration of this 

 beautiful contrivance for securing self-fertilization. 

 No one at that date seemed to have thought of 

 noticing several very evident facts which disproved 

 their whole theory of lily fertilization. First, the 

 anthers and stigma do not ripen at the same time ; 

 the ripening of anthers is shown by the opening 

 of the anther-case and the dissemination of pol- 

 len ; the ripening of the stigma is shown by a thin 

 glue or sticky juice, which exudes from its surface 

 and causes the pollen to adhere and germinate. 

 When the stamens of the lily are ready the j^istil is 

 not. Second, the sticky surface of the stigma is the 



