132 LETTER IX. 



is SO far oflP the anthers that you will find it yet 

 more difficult to imagine how the pollen is to touch 

 it ; both these are arranged in a very simple way. 

 Before the flower opens, the stigma, as the style 

 lengthens, is pressed against the point of the calyx ; 

 but here the sepals adhere so firmly that they will not 

 open ; the consequence of which is that as the style 

 goes on lengthening it gradually takes a bend up- 

 wards, and pressing forcibly against the upper side 

 of the calyx, splits it open, by separating the two 

 sepals upon whose line of union it is forced. The 

 pressure of the stigma upon the point of the calyx 

 causes the latter to be moulded into a sort of socket, 

 in which the anthers actually lie ; so that as soon as 

 the stigma begins to be loosened, by the growth of 

 the style after the latter has slit the calyx, the pollen 

 is gently taken out of the anthers by the cup of the 

 stigma ; which, w^hen it finally separates altogether 

 and rises up, carries the pollen away along with it. 



In time the calyx falls off^, and the ovary grows 

 into a hard dry fruit {figs. 5. & 6.), which opens like 

 a legume, and exposes to view a couple of seeds. 



Other Proteaceous plants are formed upon a similar 

 plan : their calyx is often separated into four distinct 

 sepals, and then no socket is formed to hold back the 

 stigma ; or there are other variations of minor impor- 

 tance, but in the absence of petals, in the origin of 

 stamens from the face of the sepals, and in the peculiar 

 fruit, they all agree. 



What causes the most striking difference in their 

 appearance, is the flowers of some growing singly 



