THE OVARY OF THE POPPY. 45 
that exist between the fertilising masses. For example, the relation- 
ship must not be so distant that the sexual elements are derived 
from sources outside the same natural group; while, on the other 
hand, it has been proved, over and over again, that, in the majority 
of cases, at all events, self-fertilisation—that is, the transportation 
of pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of the same 
flower—does not bring about the best progeneratery results. 
Perfection of the highest order can only be attained when the 
ovules have been cross-fertilised—that is, when the stigma of one 
flower is fertilised by pollen derived from the anther of another 
flower. 
Now the form, arrangement, and number of parts, periods of 
ripening of anthers and stigma, colouring, time of flowering, hours 
of opening, and other matters in connection with the matured 
flower, have all more or less important bearings upon the act 
of fertilisation, and in the majority of plants, tend to obstruct 
or entirely prevent self-fertilisation, and encourage the more bene- 
ficial reproductory act of crossing. 
If the fertilisation is to be effected by means of insects, then the 
flowers have generally showy, easily-seen, and attractive petals, 
almost always sweet or otherwise scented, while they often also 
develop nectaries, so placed that to reach them the winged visitors 
must brush past, push themselves against or walk over some floral 
organ or organs, so that while they are contentedly sipping the 
honey, the pollen is being either collected by some part of their 
hairy bodies, or else being removed from their dust-covered bodies 
by the sticky surface of a stigma. 
On the other hand, if the flowers are wind-fertilised, then the 
flowers are small, green, and inconspicuous, absolutely scentless, 
and certainly without honey; and instead of the stigma being more 
or less knob-like and sticky, it is often either cut up into a tassel- 
like structure, or else densely hairy, so as to increase the chances 
of collecting the wind-borne pollen. Compare the showy flowers 
of the poppy, fuchsia, and honey-suckle, for example, with the 
inconspicuous flowers of oak, hazel, willow, or oats; while the broad 
and platform-like, and consolidated stigma of poppy, as compared 
with the two, long, slender, densely hirsute diverging stigmas of 
oats, clearly show that these organs are specially adapted for the 
performance of somewhat different functions, one in fact for insect 
and the other for wind fertilisation. In the poppy itself each flower 
produces a great many anthers, and these, borne on rather long 
filaments, stand erect and close around the radiating stigma. The 
petals are very large, and, being brightly coloured, are hence very 
attractive to insects. As the flowers do not secrete honey, they are, 
therefore, only visited by pollen-seeking insects, which find the 
broad stigma a most convenient landing stage. The anthers, more- 
