The Meadow-Sweet 



dainty, the true inwardness of their beauty being 



better seen if a lens is used. The plant belongs to 



that family famed for beauty, the Rosacece, and 



hence the flowers are of the rose pattern. There are 



five sepals, each turned right back and set closely 



against the " receptacle " — that is, the end of the 



stalk bearing the flower ; the five little cream petals 



are attached most delicately by mere points in a 



ring round the edge, as the diagram at the head of 



the chapter shows. The attachment is so slight 



that at the least provocation they scatter like snow. 



Just within, and in a ring also, stand up many 



fragile stamens, all golden-tipped and producing an 



apparent over-abundance of pollen for the necessities 



of the plant. But the lavish production has an end 



in view, the Meadow-sweet has an object for her 



pollen other than merely fertilising her seed. She 



provides no honey to back up in tangible form the 



fragrant invitation she scatters abroad, but she offers 



pollen instead, and this is equally acceptable to the 



bees, for they must provide and store up in their 



87 



