Cultivated-Plant Study 



625 



when ripe, opens so that they may be shaken out by the winds. When 

 studying the bud, we notice two httle bracts set at its base and these 

 remain with the fruit. 



LESSON CLVIII 

 The Bee-larkspur 



Leading thought — The bee-larkspur begins blossoming early in the 

 season, the blossom stalk elongating and developing new buds at its tip 

 until late in autumn. The flower has a very interesting way of making 

 the bees carry its pollen. 



Method — Bring to the schoolroom a flower stalk of the bee-larkspur, 

 and there study the structure and mechanism of the flower. This lesson 

 should inspire the puoils to observe for them- 

 selves the visiting bees and the maturing seeds. 

 Ask them to write an account of a bumblebee 

 making morning calls on the larkspurs. 



Observations — i. Which flowers of the lark- 

 spur open first — those near the tip of the stem or 

 those below? 



2. Examine the buds toward the tip of the 

 flower stalk. What color are the sepals in 

 these buds? Do the sepals change color as 

 the flower opens? Note the little green knobs 

 which tip the closed sepals that clasp the bud. 

 What color are the sepals on the open flower? 

 Is there any green upon them when open? 



3. Where is the nectar-spur? Which sepal 

 forms this? How are the other sepals.arranged? 



4. Now that we know the flower gets its 

 brilliant color from its sepals, let us find the 

 petals. Look straight into the flower, and 

 note what forms the contrasting color of the 

 heart of the flower; these are the petals. Can 

 you see that two are joined above the open- 

 ing into the nectar-tube? How many guard the entrance from below? 

 How are these lower petals hinged about the upper one? Peel a sepal- 

 cover from the nectar-spur, and see if the upper petals extend back within 

 the spur, forming nectar-tubes? 



5. Take a flower just opened, and describe what you see below the 

 petals. What is the color of the anthers? Of the filaments? Can you 

 see the stigma? 



6. Take a flower farther down the stalk, which has therefore been 

 open longer, and describe the position of the anthers in this. Are there 

 any of them standing upright? Are they discharging their pollen? What 

 color is the pollen? Are these upright anthers in the way of the bee, 

 when she thrusts her tongue into the nectar-tube? 



7. Take the oldest flower you can find. What has happened to the 

 anthers? Can you see the pistils in this? La what position now are the 

 ■stigmas ? 



8. Push aside the anthers in a freshly opened flower and see if you can 

 find the stigmas. What is their position? How do they change in form 



The larkspur. 



1 , showing early stage with stig- 

 ma deflected. 



2, showing advanced stage with 

 stigma raised. 



