FORMATION OF SEED. 133 



will stick to the body of the insect as it crawls about 

 in its efforts to escape. Then presently the hairs in 

 the corolla tube wither away (Fig. 1 1 iC) and the insect 

 escapes, carrying the pollen with it, which it will leave, 

 in due course, upon the stigma of another flower. 

 These plants to which the insects are so useful, and 

 which generally have fragrant or bright coloured 

 flowers, are called entomophilous* or insect lovers. 



But what takes place next to pollination ? Then 

 the pollen grain makes a very wonderful journey. If 

 you look at Fig. 112 you can see a pollen grain very 

 much magnified. You see that its outer coat is 

 very much thinner at the 

 points marked a, b, and c. 

 Now at one of those 

 points the pollen grain 

 extends or grows out into 

 a tube (Fig. 112 j), and so S| 

 travels down the channel ,,. . , ...... 



rig. 112. Pollen grain of Willow 



which I told you of herb (Epitobium) t much magnified. 



e* outer coat ; z, inner coat. 



(p. 128), through the 



stigma and style into the ovary until it reaches the 

 ovule'. t (Figs. 109 and 113.) But still its journey is 

 not finished. It passes on through a channel in the 

 ovule until it reaches a certain spot inside the ovule. 

 (Fig. 109 and 113 at E.) This is called fertilisation. 



* From the Greek " entoma" insects, and " phileo? I love. 



t In one division of flowering plants the ovules are not enclosed in 

 ovaries ; the pollen falls at once upon the ovules. 



