32 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



January, 1907 



at times the upper leaves are partly green and partly red. 

 Another genus of South American plants — Bougainvillea — 

 has found it desirable to adopt a special mode of advertising 

 its flowers, although these are provided with a proper corolla, 

 and are almost as attractive as some of the smaller species 

 of Primula for instance. But they are a dull yellow color 

 and would be likely to appear insignificant among the leaves 

 of the plant itself were they not surrounded by three large 

 bracts colored in a very striking shade of lilac. Bougain- 



Aechmea of Brazil. The Leaflets Surrounding the Flower 

 Are Bright Pink, Although the Actual Flowers 

 Are Not in the Least Attractive 



villeas are climbing plants, and as the flowers and their showy 

 appendages are produced in great masses, the presence of the 

 floral organs is announced in a most striking fashion to all 

 passers by. Indeed a Bougainvillea in full bloom would be 

 seen from a great distance off, and one could conceive the 

 insects being attracted from all parts. 



Of course in composite flowers, the most showy portions 

 of the blooms really serve no other purpose than to advertise 

 the real essential organs. Daisies, Chrysanthemums, and 

 Asters are typical of this special formation, when in their 

 single state. If we take a specimen of any of these flowers 

 we shall find that the outside circle of colored rays is com- 

 posed of nothing more than petal-like processes. They are 

 perfectly sterile; in fact their sole oflice in life is to look 

 attractive. The central mass of yellow material is com- 

 posed of hundreds of flowers, destitute of petals but all pro- 

 vided with the organs of reproduction. By this clever ar- 

 rangement the composite flowers are able to produce a far 

 greater number of seeds than is the case in the majority of 

 orders. 



In a Southern European Salvia ( S. horminum rubra) is to 

 be seen yet another mode of drawing attention to somewhat 

 unattractive flowers. This plant has rather small blooms in 

 the regular labiate style, sprouting out from the axils of the 

 leaves. With about two-thirds of the shoot the foliage is 

 of an ordinary green color, but in the remaining terminal por- 

 tion the leaves are first of all partly and then finally wholly 

 colored in bright pink. Thus during the blooming season 

 this decidedly humble plant is transformed into a most strik- 

 ing object, so much so that it is recognized as a valuable 

 border plant in the garden. It is notable that as the plant 

 passes from its blooming stage the pink gradually becomes 

 green, proving that they are actually leaves which have taken 

 upon themselves the rather unusual office of helping the flow- 

 ers to make known their presence. 



As all botanists are aware, red is frequently associated with 

 growing shoots. It is interesting to observe that this point 

 has been turned to good account in the case of a Japanese 

 indigenous species called Pieris Japonica. The plant Is 

 shrubby in habit and is nearly allied to Arbutus. In the 

 spring the Pieris produces its small white flowers, which are 

 often so sheltered by the leaves as to pass almost unobserved. 

 But notice what takes place at this season. A little bit ahead 

 of the opening of the blooms the fresh growth commences 

 from the shoots, and the young leaves are of a most brilliant 

 scarlet. Passing insects can not fail to mark the bright dis- 

 play of color, and, alighting upon the leaves, soon become 

 aware of the presence of the slightly fragrant flowers. 



It would seem that one will not be very wrong in supposing 

 that strongly marked leaf coloration is generally present to 

 make the plant conspicuous. Such genera as Coleus, Co- 

 dia;um, to mention only two, often display the most gor- 

 geously colored foliage although their flowers are compara- 

 tively insignificant. A species of Aechmea has been found 

 in Brazil in which the leaflets surrounding the flower stem 

 are tinted with bright pink although the actual flowers are 

 not at all attractive. Many observers have proved up to 

 the hilt that insects exhibit a strong tendency to settle on 

 a colored object, and it can be imagined that if the specimens 

 could once be induced to alight on the leaves they would be 

 almost certain to come across the flowers. It is very remark- 

 able in this connection that many of these species with showy 

 foliage assume their brightest colors just about the blooming 

 time of the plant. 



In dwelling upon a question such as the one under consid- 

 eration it Is always a strange reflection, as to why it is that 

 certain species seem to be more favored than others. To 

 particularize in an Instance, one may take the case of the 

 Salvia referred to above. This plant has numerous allies 

 some of which are scarcely so well favored in the attractive- 

 ness of their flowers as S. horminum rubrum. Yet these 

 have not been able to blaze forth to the world with all the 



Poinsettia Pulcherrima. A Flower Inconspicuous Because of 

 Its Greenish Petals, But Attractive to Cross Fertilizing 

 Insects Because of Its Bright Terminal Leaves 



glory of gaily colored leaves and have to be content with 

 ordinary green foliage. The problem Is deep and far reach- 

 ing, and one which it is far more easy to propound than to 

 explain. It seems to be only half an explanation to say that 

 one plant requires special assistance and the other does not. 

 Probably the question could not be settled In one answer for 

 It Is likely that the reason is very different in Individual cases. 



