56 



ELEMENTS OP STEUCTURAL BOTANY. 



bearing; otherwise the wind is the principal agent. 

 Flowers which depend on insects to effect the transfer of 

 pollen from the anther to the stigma are said to be ento- 

 mophilous. Those which depend upon the wind are 

 anemophilous. The Willow belongs to the former class., 

 75. Maple. In early spring, while the branches are 

 as yet bare, of loaves, our Eed Ma:plea are covered with 

 a profusion of scarlet and yellow ^ossoms, and the" air 

 about them is alive with busy insects gathering honey'for 

 themselves, and performing at the same time ah impor- 

 tant service for the trees in return ; for it will be found 

 on examining a few of the trees that, like the Willow, 

 they do not all bear the same kind of 

 flowers. In some, the ends of the 

 red dish twigs will presejit Reappear- 

 ance shown in Fig.72,withnumerous 

 stamens 'protruding from the scaly 

 lateral buds. On looking into one 

 of these buds it will be found that 

 there are several flowers on short 

 pedicels, each like that shown in 

 Kg. 73, except that the number of 

 stamens will 'probably be found to 

 be somewhat variable. Pbserve 

 the fleshy disk in the bottom of 

 the calyx, upon which the stamens 

 are inserted. These flowers with 

 the projecting stamens are without 

 pistils. They produce nothing but 

 pollen, and the tree upon which you find them produces 

 no other kind. 



Fig. ITS. 



Fiff. 72. — Twifir of Red Maple bearing staminate flowers. 



