SOME SIMPLE FLOWERS 13 



stop and admire and exclaim. The insect makes a 

 closer investigation. He has an instinct that here is 

 some material good for him. And so there is. For 

 him alone does Poppy don her bright and lustrous 

 gown. For him, she plans even greater pleasures 

 than those of sight. Look at a Poppy, and you will 

 see how generous she is. 



In the center of the four satiny petals are ar- 

 ranged the stamens, with their anthers full to the 

 brim of the pollen that to the bug is a toothsome 

 meal. As he feeds hungrily, he moves around and 

 jostles the stamens, and some pollen is dusted over 

 him. This he carries away when he leaves the blos- 

 som. His appetite is not appeased with a visit to 

 one flower so he dips into another. As he dives 

 down, the pollen on his head and body is brushed 

 against the waiting stigma, and it is quickly passed 

 down to the ovary where it converts the little ovules 

 into seeds. This is what Poppy has planned for. 

 This is why she has developed her color and her 

 sheen and her pollen to make herself so attractive 

 that she will be sure to have helpful visitors. 



She seems impatient at any delay in getting her 

 charms in view. Notice how she pushes her calyx 

 right off over her head when she is ready to spread 

 her splendid corolla. Then, later, this wonderful 

 corolla does the duty of the calyx. It would never 

 do to let cold or moisture touch the precious seed- 



