TUM DANDELION 171 



plant, flowers polygamous (infrequent; some maples 

 are examples). 



Suggestions. — It is excellent practice to endea,vor to find the 

 sexes in dioeeious plants. "Pussy" willows are attractive, and they 

 take the pupil into places where he is certain to find interesting 

 things. When the willow catkins are in full bloom (they are not 

 yet fully out when in their "pussy" stage), select as many appar- 

 ent mates — that is, staminate plants and pistillate plants of the same 

 kind — as possible, mark them with tags, and then visit them when 

 in full leaf, and see how closely you have matched them. In all 

 diclinous plaixts the pupil should determine if the staminate and 

 pistillate flowers are approximately equal in number. 



XXXII. THE DANDELION 



194. The first warmth of spring brought the 

 dandelions out of the banks and knolls. They 

 were the first proofs that winter was really going, 

 and we began to listen for the blackbirds and 

 the robins. We loved the bright flowers, for they 

 were so many reflections of the warming sun. 

 They soon became more familiar, and invaded the 

 yards. Then they overran the lawns, and we 

 began to despise them. We hated them because 

 we had made up our minds not to have them, not 

 because they were unlovable. In spite of every 

 effort, we could not get rid of them. Then if we 

 must have them, we decided to love them. Where 

 once were weeds are now golden coins scattered 



