COLORS OF NORTH AMERICAN FLOWERS 



and fall, but abundant in the same seasons in the red maple, 

 which contains much less carrotin. 



The anthocyanins are glucosides, and there are many differ- 

 ent kinds, which are named after the flowers from which they 

 are extracted, as that from the geranium {Pelargonium) is called 

 pelargonidin, that from the larkspur {Delphinium) delphinidin, 

 and that from Malva malvidin. The colors of flowers depend 

 upon whether there is a small or large quantity of these pig- 

 ments present, or a mixture of more than one, and also on the 

 presence of yellow pigments. 



Red has more motor power in stimulating the eye than other 

 colors, and is consequently used commonly for railroad and 

 other forms of signalling. It is the favorite color of savage 

 races, and it renders persons living constantly in rooms painted 

 bright -red nervous and excitable. Since it will excite the buU 

 to fury and enrage the turkey-gobbler, it is not surprising to 

 find that flowers pollinated by humming-birds and sunbirds 

 are usually crimson or scarlet. (Fig. 112.) There are also 

 many red pinks, lilies, and orchids, which are pollinated by 

 red-colored butterflies, a fact which led Mueller to believe that 

 they were likewise influenced by red coloration. 



The distribution of red flowers shows that in the sequence 

 of floral colors they are more primitive than blue, for they 

 occur in more primitive genera and families in some of which 

 blue flowers are unknown. The buckwheat family contains 

 11, the pink family 22, the rose family 19, the mallow family 

 13, the evening-primrose family 10, the heath family 10, and 

 the huckleberry family 11 red-flowered species; but in north- 

 eastern America there are no blue flowers in any of these 

 families. The flowers in the above famihes are regular in form 

 and but little modified, so that it is probable that red flowers 

 were abundant long before blue. The prevalence of red color- 



247 



