THE STUDY OF THE DANDELION. 25 



fruit, the "spherical open hairy clusters" we have de- 

 scribed ? 



Let us examine one little flower of the dandelion, 

 asking constantly u why," and "how." Each seed 

 has a little stem (the beak) connecting it with the parts 

 of the flower above. Why ? If we have watched the 

 fruit develop, we have discovered that this beak length- 

 ens, pushes up the pappus, forms the rays or radii of 

 the sphere, and is the rope connecting each seed with 

 its parachute. 



Why does each dandelion flower have its outer part, 

 or calyx, composed of little hairs, while in the buttercup 

 it is composed of little green leaves ? Each is fitted for 

 its work. In the buttercup the calyx protects the parts 

 within ; in the dandelion the involucre protects, and the 

 calyx has another duty, to scatter the seeds. 



What is the use of the other parts, corolla, sta- 

 mens, and style ? 



In the dandelion, as in all other flowering plants, 

 seeds that is, perfect seeds which will develop into 

 plants are formed, and only formed, by the union of 

 the pollen (the yellow powder coming from the anther, 

 or upper part of the stamens) with rudimentary seeds 

 or ovules in the ovary, or lower part of the pistil. The 

 grains of pollen must in some way pass from the anther 

 to the upper portion of the style, called the stigma, 

 from which some of the living matter ( protoplasm) in 

 the pollen grains works down through the style into 

 the seed-box, or ovary, and unites with the rudimentary 

 seeds there. Not until this process (fertilization) takes 



