THE NATURE AND NEEDS OF LIVING MATTER 31 



fluctuating variations, to distinguish them from sudden variations or 

 sports. f 



Conclusions. 1. What sort of a rayed blossom does the above kind of 

 plant tend to produce ? Note. If the curve you get tends to be double, 

 it would indicate a splitting up of the sort into two other sorts with rays 

 predominating as indicated by the two longest lines, respectively. 



b 



20 



10 



14 



o 17 lfl 19 .20 21 Zi 23 & 25 <"> *T Z*t 9 *9 & 



a c 



FIG. 6. Curve of variation in number of petals of ox-eye daisy. Number of 



plants examined on line ab. Number of petals to a flower on line ac. 



2. What tendencies of flower, or leaf, buds, stems, etc. , are indicated 

 by your figure ? Note. Whoever wishes to improve plants must be on 

 the alert to notice desirable variations and attempt to propagate them. 



Questions 



1. What are the four essential parts of a flowering plant? 



2. How are flowers of advantage to the plant that bears them ? 



3. What do you think Tennyson meant by the following statement ? 



" but if I could understand 

 What you are, root and all, and all in all, 

 I should know what God and Man is." 



4. What do you understand by the phrase "adaptation of structure to 

 function " ? 



5. What is meant by ' variation in organisms ? 



6. What use may man make of variation ? 



