986 



THE NATURE BOOK 



COKNF],OWKK, 

 THE POPPY 



The flowers of the cornfields provide 

 representatives of the three primary 

 colours. The Cornflower gives us the 

 blue, the Marigold the yellow, whilst 

 the Poppy is oi a brilliant rich scarlet. 

 It sometimes grows so ])rofusely that 

 acres of fields, from a little distance, 

 ai)])ear of this intense colour in June and 

 July. The Corn Poppy {Papaver Rhccas) 

 is an erect annual, frequently nearly two 

 feet in height, with firm stems covered with 

 stiff hairs ; the lower leaves are large 

 and graceful in form, with long stalks ; 

 the ui)i)er leaves ai)])ear on the stems 

 with no stalks. Each of the four petals 

 has a dark ])ur])le spot, or eye, at the 

 base, and all are very delicate in texture ; 

 whilst in the bud the flower heads are 

 bent over anrl the petals are tightly 

 curled up and entirely covered bv the 



two sepals of the calyx. These 

 sejmrate as the flower begins to ex- 

 pand, and finally fall off altogether. 

 The Pop]:)y does not secrete any 

 honc\', but insects are attracted by 

 the quantity of pollen contained in 

 the numerous stamens which form 

 a dark ring round the pistil. This 

 latter is a very conspicuous object 

 in the centre of the flower, being 

 crowned by a disk from which the 

 stigmas radiate from the centre. 

 This forms a very convenient plat- 

 form for insects to alight upon, and 

 it they have previously visited 

 another Poi)py flower and have 

 been dusted by the pollen, some of 

 this is sure to be transferred to the 

 stigmas, and so effect cross-fertih- 

 sation. The fruit is globular in 

 shape, and the seeds, which are 

 very numerous, escape from small 

 openings which appear in due time 

 beneath the stigmas. All members 

 of the Pop})y famil}' secrete a milky, 

 syrupy liquid, which is more or less 

 narcotic in nature ; the species which 

 provides the Poppy heads used for 

 fomentations is the same as that 

 from which o^)ium is extracted 

 {Papaver soinniferiDn). 



THE BINDWEED 



The Corn Convolvulus, or Kind- 

 weed {Convolvulus arvensis), is a 

 most troublesome weed to farmers, for 

 the roots go very deeply into the soil 

 and s})read rajndly, so that it is a 

 \-ery difficult plant to exterminate. The 

 name comes from the Latin convolvo, 

 meaning " I twine around," as the whole 

 plant twists itself round any slender sup- 

 port that happens to be near it. The 

 flowering period extends from June till 

 well on in the autumn. The petals \-ary 

 in colour, In'ing wliite with ])ink wins, 

 or wholly ])ink. They are very sensitive 

 to light and warmth, ex]mnding rai)idly 

 when the conditions are favoural)le, but 

 closing when ]:)icked. The flowers secrete 

 a large amount of honey at the base of the 

 stamens, which are slightly flattened out, so 

 that the bee can only reach the honey by 

 pusliing its proboscis well down between 

 them. In the act of doing this it comes 

 in contact first with tlie stigma and tlien 



