Life of Plants and Animals 209 



REPRODUCTION. As the rapidity of growth de- 

 creases the stem does not lengthen out materially. 

 Hence the new leaves, smaller and more delicate in 

 texture, become crowded together into little clusters 

 arranged in circles, and constituting the flower. The 

 outer part of these flowers, especially the corolla, 

 is beautifully white and delicate. At the base of the 

 stamens and pistil are little glands from which there 

 issues a fragrant, sweet fluid, the nectar. 



Bees, guided by the fragrance and color of the 

 flower, pass from one to another, sucking up the nectar. 

 While thus engaged they unconsciously carry pollen 

 from the stamen of one flower to the pistil of another 

 flower, thus causing the cross-fertilization of those 

 flowers. 



This having been accomplished, a new seed is 

 formed with its tiny embryo in the ovary at the base 

 of the pistil. 



Thus, having passed from the seed through a regular 

 series of changes and growth, the plant produces 

 new seeds and then dies. The new seed, however, 

 is alive, but remains in a dormant or sleeping state, 

 as before, till conditions of temperature and moisture 

 are again suitable for germination. Then there is 

 developed from this seed a new plant resembling the 

 old plant, its parent; but varying, perhaps, in some 

 minor respects, since it is now the result of two plants 

 combined. 



Heredity. The similarity of one plant to its parent 

 is due to what is called heredity. The blending of 

 the characters of the two plants in cross-fertilization 

 gives rise, perhaps, to some of the variations or differ- 

 ences which one often sees between different bean 

 plants. 



Natural Selection. Those plants whose characters, 

 as the lengthened stem, are suited to the conditions 

 amid which the plant is placed, will grow strongest, 



