1 5 8 FLO WER-LAND. 



energy of the living plants spends itself in forming 

 flowers and fruits with all their wonderful variety 

 the "organs of reproduction." So that the great 

 business of plants is to produce their seed by which 

 their kind may be kept alive upon the earth after 

 those of any particular generation are dead and gone. 

 I should like you to remember this. So notice again 

 how wonderfully the seeds are covered and protected 

 by pericarp or testa, or by both (p. 152). And then 

 on fine summer days let us search to find out some of 

 the wonderful ways in which plants take pains that 

 their seeds may ripen safely, and, when ripe, may be 

 " scattered," or " sown." 



Notice, for instance, the common dandelion in full 

 bloom, how conspicuous it is, its stalk erect, and its 

 bright yellow florets all wide open. 



But presently the involucre will close up around 

 its withering florets, and the flower stalk (scape, 

 p. 107) will bend downwards with the precious 

 head of fertilised ovules, so that they may become 

 seeds (p. 134) ripe and ready to be sown. Then up 

 rises its stalk again, and its involucre opens wide, 

 and the head of fruits, each with a feathery tail at- 

 tached to it,* is raised high, so that the fruits with 

 their precious seed may be scattered by the wind. 

 Have you never seen children blowing at these 

 feathery heads or " clocks " as they are called, to see 



*This is called a "pappus," see Fig. 138, a, b, e. 



