Vegetable and Animal 



We shall only mention Rafflesia patma of Java, for 

 its method of seed distribution is ambitious and yet 

 very simple. This is a parasite which grows in the 

 forests on the projecting roots of certain vines (Cissus). 

 The enormous flowers (18 inches across) are con- 

 spicuous enough in the dark atmosphere of the jungle. 

 The plant consists of practically nothing except this 

 flower and a short root which burrows into the Cissus 

 and extracts all the nourishment required. 



When the huge flower decays, it forms a sticky pulpy 

 mass tl like broth/' and full of seeds. An elephant 

 strolling through the forest will step in it, and will, 

 of course, naturally scrape its feet against the next con- 

 veniently projecting Cissus root which it happens to 

 encounter. 10 The seed will therefore have a good chance 

 of establishing itself on it. 



Perhaps the next most interesting example is formed 

 by those plants which employ ants to carry their seeds 

 from one place to another. 



It is only but recently, in consequence of the minute 

 observations of Sernander, that we have begun to realise 

 how important these insects may be. To one nest 

 it was found that 366 seeds were brought in during 

 nineteen hours (156 of Melica, 69 Cowwheat, 31 Luzula, 

 28 Hepatica, 25 Carex pilosa, &c.). Along a path used 

 by the ants he marked out a square yard, and found 

 that twenty-eight seeds were dropped in it. Some of 

 the seeds were carried seventy yards and more. 



It is no doubt in order to induce the ants to carry 

 them that one finds these curious little swellings on 

 the seeds of Chionodoxa (Glory-of-the-snow) and the 

 snowdrop, or the little ridge at the foot of the fruit of 

 the corn bluebottle (Centaurea cyanus). The unusual 

 fact that the white dead nettle secretes sugar after the 

 petals have fallen off is at once understood by its being 



203 



