SPRING FLOWERS 97 



The same general induction may be reached by singling 

 out highly specialised forms belonging to certain orders, 

 and noting that they appear usually later than their more 

 average relatives. The pondweeds (Potamogetori) , peculi- 

 arly specialised among Naiadaceae, come late ; Smilax, a 

 Midsummer flower, is markedly more specialised than 

 the Spring-flowering Liliaceae ; Columbine comes after 

 Celandine ; of aquatic Nymphaeaceae (near relatives of 

 Ranunculaceae), the most specialised Nelumbo is latest 

 to flower ; Grass of Parnassus, an aberrant relative of the 

 Saxifrages, belongs to late Autumn, and the Sundew also 

 flowers in late Summer ; the aquatic Bladderworts are 

 wholly Summer flowers ; and so on through a long list. 



Yet another mode of approach is to take a single genus, 

 and follow its species. Mr. Clarke takes the Slipperwort 

 (Cypripedium). " Earliest, in late May, comes the little 

 white C. candidum ; a little later the low, stemless type 

 with its large complicated flower, C. acaule\ still later 

 the small flowered but tall-growing C. parviflorum ; later 

 yet, the large cousin of the last, C. pubescens ; and latest, 

 late in June, most robust, vigorous, and conspicuous, the 

 splendid C. spectabile." 



Let us hear the conclusion of this interesting inquiry 

 into the succession of flowers in their seasons. " From 

 early Spring to late Autumn there is a progression in the 

 general character of the flower-groups, from the lower to 

 the higher successive groups succeeding each other in 

 time, parallel groups coming synchronously. The later 

 in order may be types of a higher character of develop- 

 ment, or they may be specialisations of a group whose 

 normal forms belonged to an earlier season. In short, in 

 their blooming season, the more perfect succeed the more 

 simple; the aberrant, the normal; the specialised, the 

 generalised." 

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