The Fascination of Flowers [ 305 



Shortly afterward seeds of the second species, having small, broad- 

 tubed, red-purple flowers, were sent to the Glasgow Botanical 

 Gardens where the two species were brought together. Today we 

 find petunias of many colors, but red-purple and white still pre- 

 dominate. 



Pollen for Petunias: The petunia's wonderful arrangement for 

 pollination is one of the marvels of nature. Near the bottom of 

 the long tube lies the stigma, with two well-developed anthers 

 in front of it and two more not quite so advanced behind it. 

 The stalks that support the front anthers are longer than those 

 of the second pair. There is still another anther a fifth on a 

 stalk shorter than all the others. This is apparently a little pollen 

 supply held in reserve by the flower. 



For about half its length, each stamen is attached to the base 

 of the flower's tube. The rest of the stamen curves abruptly in- 

 ward. This makes it snuggle up to the pistil, the base of which 

 is set in the nectar well at the bottom of the flower. When an in- 

 sect pays a visit, its tongue reaches along the flower tube toward 

 the nectar and it presses against the stamens at the point where 

 they curve. This causes the anthers to move about, and as they 

 move their pollen is shaken off on the insect! 



In an older petunia the stigma, standing above the empty 

 anthers, opens into two lobes and is ready to receive pollen from 

 other flowers. 



The Petunia and the Hummingbird Moth: The most notable in- 

 sect partners of petunias are the sphinx or hummingbird moths, 

 which can often be seen hovering over these flowers in the early 

 evening. Petunias are members of the "nightshade" family, which 

 also includes the tomato, the potato, and tobacco. Hummingbird 

 moths are distinctly partial to all these plants. 



POPPIES THEY FASCINATE BEES 



The poppy is distinctly a bee's flower. The insects ap- 

 parently delight in wallowing in the pollen that lies along the 

 ridges of the flower's pistil. 



This pistil resembles a tiny vase with a circular cover. After 



