oS WAYSIDE WEEDS. 



majority of plants, the stamens and the pistils are 

 found combined in the same blossom ; but in some, 

 such as the lychnis, which we gathered into Hand- 

 ful No. 1 , they are not only in separate blossoms, 

 but in separate plants, perhaps widely separated. 

 Is it not a great chance that the pollen of the one 

 blossom reaches the stigma of the other ? If it 

 depended on chance it would be ; but He who 



Flo. 42. — Diagram of a perfect flower, a a, ealyoine, or external whorl, of 

 organa alternating with b b^ Gorolline whorl ; o c, staminal whorl, opposite 

 calycine divisiona, alternate with coroUine ; d d, pistiline whorl, oppoaite 

 corolline, alternating with ataminal and ealyoine. 



separated the blossoms has made also the provision 

 that they do not bloom in vain. Watch that bee 

 who is coming away from the stamen-bearing 

 lychnis flower, and carrying with him a golden 

 embroidery of pollen 5 why, the very next thing 

 he does is to fly off to that blossom which is wait- 

 ing for it, and rub his spangled jacket against it. 

 Neither is it bees only which are the poUen carriers, 



