Cleavers. 119 



we have already acquired ; the question for our 

 present consideration is this : What gives the goose- 

 grass flower in particular its peculiar shape, colour, 

 and arrangement ? 



First of all, you will notice that it has a united 

 corolla— a single fringe of bloom instead of several 

 distinct flower leaves. This marks its position as a 

 ver}' proud one in the floral hierarchy ; for you will 

 remember that only the most advanced blossoms have 

 their originally separate petals welded into a solid 

 continuous piece. Once upon a time, indeed, the 

 early ancestors of our little creeper had five distinct 

 petals, like those of a dog-rose or a buttercup ; but 

 that was many, many generations since. In time 

 these petals began to coalesce slightly at the base, so 

 as to form a short tube as in the primrose ; and, since 

 this arrangement made it easier for the insect to fer- 

 tilise the flowers, because he was more certain to 

 brush his head in hunting for honey against the 

 pollen-beating stamens and the sensitive summit of 

 the pistil, all the flowers which exhibited such a ten- 

 dencv^ gained a decided advantacrc over their com- 

 pctitors, and lived and flourished accordingly, while 

 their less fortunate comj^eers went to the wall. So in 

 the course of ages such tubular flowers, like harebells 

 and heaths, became very common, and to a great 



