4o Field, Forest, and Wayside Flowers 



dandelion. Each is like a slender, hollow staff of 

 silver, surmounted by a little flag of gold. The 

 yellow banner finishes in a row of neat little 

 scallops, and from this decoration we can infer a 

 chapter in the flower's history. 



Once upon a time the tiny blossom was com- 

 posed of five leaves or petals, one for each of 

 these scallops. After a while, for good and suffi- 

 cient reasons doubtless, the little leaves combined 

 into a tube, marked with five seams, or lines of 

 union. Later still it was found that the blos- 

 som's purposes would be better furthered if the 

 tube were split open. So it has altered itself 

 into a little flag, which answers somewhat the same 

 purpose as does the red banner of the auctioneer. 

 It advises the passing insect that certain goods 

 can be obtained here in exchange for value re- 

 ceived. Inside the floret stands a close ring of 

 stamens with their heads or anthers united so as 

 to form a long, narrow tube. The anthers open 

 towards the centre of the flower, so that this tube 

 is soon filled with pollen. 



The pistil matures a little later than the stamens 

 do-. It is long and narrow, and is divided at its 

 summit into two arms, which at first are raised 

 upright and closely pressed together (Fig. 4). In 



