POLLEN, OR FLOWER-DUST 87 



its insect visitors other than the transference of 

 the pollen to the female blossoms ; as likewise 

 the insect has no friendly desire to convey these 

 male fertilising grains to their destination, but 

 inadvertently does so, owing to the cunning 

 adaptation of the flower, which dusts it with 

 pollen-grains while it is gathering the honey. 



The second illustration (Fig. 54) exhibits a 

 striking difference, although it represents a flower 

 from the same plant, for this is the sister blossom. 

 Instead of the crowded pollen-bags we see several 

 fringed corkscrew-like objects, which collectively 

 the botanist terms the " stigma," and these repre- 

 sent the receptive surface for the pollen-grains 

 which are rubbed from the legs and bodies of the 

 winged insects that have previously visited male 

 flowers. This, then, constitutes the transference 

 of the pollen by insects, and is sometimes called 

 " fertilisation," although it is merely the means to 

 that end. Fertilisation has yet to take place, but of 

 this more anon. 



As has been said, however, all flowers will not 

 be found, like our begonia, to have separate 

 sexual flowers. If a buttercup, primrose, or 

 fuchsia-blossom be examined, each will be found to 

 contain both pollen-producing stamens and recep- 

 tive stigma ; hence these are male and female 

 flowers combined. But plants like the begonia, 



