LECTURES. 23 
Floating naturally disperses many water plants, some seeds 
can stand well salt water for some months,—especially Coker Nut 
Palms as we.can judge from pictures of Coral Islands. 
The Rose of Jericho (Anastatica) is the best instance of our 
last division. In autumn as the plant dies it rolls itself into a ball 
and is blown thus across the sandy plains near the Dead Sea. 
Contact with water makes it unroll, and so on reaching a suffici- 
ently damp spot it uncurls, the seeds drop out and germinate, 
being so to speak sown only in proper places. Another instance 
may be taken from a Sumach (Rhus) not uncommon in gardens in 
which the feathered stalks of a number of barren flowers break off 
together and carry with them one or two seeds. 
Such are the methods by which plants migrate, but we have 
plants which sow their own seeds, which make them stay at home 
and not trust to chance,—such as Cardamine chrnopodifolia, 
Trifolium subterraneum, Arachis, and sometimes Lathyrus. These 
all push their seeds down among their roots before they die in the 
autumn. The Carline Thistle with a parachute, and the Pine with 
a winged seed, only allow these to fly in fine weather as some large 
thunder-drop might ruthlessly dash them to the ground almost 
before their travels had begun. 
Some of these points may seem trivial, but though the fruits 
and seeds may be dry the subject is not. ‘‘ True it is that he who 
once learns to see that which is little in nature will never cease to 
find interest in observing her ways.” 
