LIFE HISTORIES OF FAMILIAR PLANTS 



done their work, and the memorial of that work 

 was conspicuous enough. The shrivelled hood is 

 seen still clinging to the structure, but bursting 

 from it is a cluster of plump, green berries, which 

 immediately they become exposed to the light 

 turn a bright scarlet colour. And so the hood falls 

 away and exposes the berries, which stand on their 

 stout stem looking a most conspicuous patch of 

 brilliant red (Fig. 33, Plate 21). Why this bold 

 front, though ? Has the arum some other scheme 

 on hand ? 



Yes, the arum needs service from the animal 

 world. Many plants not only bribe insects to 

 assist in fertihsing their flowers, but also induce 

 larger creatures to disseminate their seeds. The 

 method adopted is generally that of a juicy sweet 

 pulp around the hard seed, so that an animal shall 

 carry off the fruit and cast away the stone, or 

 seed, in distant places where it may germinate. 

 In the case of the arum we have this principle 

 carried out exactly. Each of those tiny carpels of 

 the female flowers pollinated by the pollen brought 

 b}^ the visiting midges, has now become a red, 

 juicy berry containing a hard seed, and this bright 

 berry boldly invites animals to feast upon it. But 

 we find that the berries are extremely poisonous, 

 and thereupon the whole theory is apparently 

 self-contradictory. The fruit is made attractive 

 and inviting to tempt the appetite, but then it 

 is made poisonous to prevent it from being eaten. 

 Surely there is something amiss here ! 



We have to remember, though, the fact that 



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