The Flowering of the Forest Trees 7) 



these trees issue from other buds, which grow lower 

 on the boughs, on the old wood of last year. 



But in all these trees we notice that the pen- 

 dulous chains of stamens are more numerous on 

 the upper branches and the pistil-bearing flowers 

 grow more plentifully on the lower boughs. So 

 the swing of the tree-tops in spring winds helps 

 to shake the pollen out of the stamens, and the 

 natural falling of the golden grains helps them to 

 find their way to the waiting pistils. 



The seedlings of these trees may have but one 

 plant-parent apiece, and every healthy and mature 

 tree of these species yields seed. 



The poplars, as we have seen, conduct their 

 affairs after a different fashion, and so do the 

 willows, their nearest of kin. They bear stamens 

 on one tree, and pistils on another. Each seed- 

 ling-poplar or willow has had two tree-parents, 

 and only certain individuals among the poplars 

 and willows yield seed. 



But some spring-flowering trees are apparently 

 in a curious state of indecision and transition. 

 Their habits are described by the technical botanist 

 as " monceciously " or " diceciously " polygamous. 



Sometimes their blossoms contain both stamens 

 and pistils, sometime-s they have only stamens and 



