368 



HUTCHINSON'S POPULAR BOTANY 



stigma as a preliminary to fertilization. The consideration of these means 

 brings us in touch with those denizens of the insect world which 

 may be reckoned among the bidden guests of flowers. The subject has 

 received an extraordinary amount of attention during recent years, and 



is practically inex- 

 haustible. The 

 phenomena of which 

 it treats are them- 

 > selves often spoken 

 of as fertilization, 

 but this use of the 

 term albeit we con- 

 fess to being fre- 

 quent offenders in 

 this respect is 

 hardly correct. Pol- 

 lination is a better 

 word. 



Let us begin with 

 flowers which pol- 

 linate themselves. 

 Now it will be evi- 

 dent at a glance 

 that such flowers 

 must bear the male 

 and female organs 

 on the same indi- 

 vidual ; hence we 

 call them bisexual or 

 hermaphrodite. 



The presence or 

 absence of one or 

 both of the essential 

 organs of a flower is 

 a matter of great 

 importance. One of 

 IE. step. ^ e commonest 



FIG. 451.-ASH (Fraxinus excelsior). hermaphrodite 



The flowers are without petals or sepals, and yet are perfect because each one 



consists of two stamens and a pistil. flowers IS the 



Buttercup (Ranun- 

 culus}. Here the male and female organs are both present in the shining 

 yellow cup, and hence it is not only bisexual, but perfect. Even though 

 the Buttercup had no calyx or corolla, it would still be perfect. As a 

 matter of fact it possesses both those organs ; and since, in addition, it 



