/•7.()irA"A'.S" i5.> 



The centre iiia\- become filled with llitiels siinil.ir 

 to those ill the outside I'ini;', or the florets in the 

 middle m;i\- become larger or of a different colour. 



These various chan<^es may be readily observed 

 in the culti\ated chrysanthemums, in which every 

 form and \ariet\- of flowerini^ can be traced. 



When the pollen has reached the pistil the 

 llower bcL^iiis to fade, because its end has been 

 attained ; nature, howexer, has such \ariety in 

 even the smallest of her operatifjiis that the 

 passing; a\\a\- of a fl(j\ver is accomplished in 

 different w axs. in the primrose the corolla withers 

 and drops to the i;r(jund. The flower of the 

 sjiiderwort, one of our common s^arden plants, 

 becomes pulpy as it fades, in this way rescmbliuL,^ 

 the pine-apple plant, the fl<j\\er of which e\entuall\- 

 becomes the lusci(jus succulent fruit. 



The popp)- is proxerbial for its fleeting i:)etals, 

 which scarcely last more than a few hours, a 

 passinj^ wind soon scatterini^ them far and w ide. 



'■ ricasiiics iiic like ixijiijics spiciul, 



\'ou .scizf Ihc flower, its hlooni is shed I 



Or like the snow-fall in the river, 



A moment while— then melts for ever." (Burns.) 



Some flowers, as the lu'drangea, have persistent 



