XX 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GA 



RD ENS 



September, 1907 



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SEPTEMBER 



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For this reason do many flowers seek to pro- 

 tect their pollen ; and the more sensitive the 

 plant to slight atmospheric changes the more 

 successfully does it guard its treasure. Now 

 let us consider the barometer plants that do 

 not actually close their petals in bad weather, 

 but droop their heads so that a cup becomes a 

 hanging bell, presenting only its back to the 

 rainfall. 



The little wild geranium stands up pink 

 and bold on bright days, but droops percepti- 

 bly in damp weather, until at length its face 

 is to the ground. The pretty mauve heads of 

 the sheep-bit or scabious act in just the same 

 way, as also does the Claytonia — a cheerful 

 enough creature in fair weather but very de- 

 jected and insignificant on a showery day. 



I have often watched a patch of Alpine po- 

 tentilla that grew in a rock garden. On a 

 brilliant spring morning it was a blaze of 

 gold, and the tender green foliage was thickly 

 studded with exquisite little yellow blossoms. 

 But on a dull wet day the short stems turned 

 quite over and lay almost at right angles to 

 their original positions, while the yellow cups 

 were turned entirely upside down. 



Other plants that prefer this method of pro- 

 tection for their pollen, and therefore pose as 

 weather prophets, are the cinquefoil, potato, 

 wood-sorrel, campanula, chickweed and wil- 

 low-herb. The last-named is especially wily. 

 On a bad day you will see most of the flowers 

 bent over, while a few remain erect. Here, 

 you will say, the barometer role is uncertain 

 and left to chance. But investigate more 

 closely and you will see it is only the older 

 flowers that do not bend. All the younger 

 ones have done so, and a little further knowl- 

 edge of each flower's life story explains the 

 point. 



The life of each is but three days. On the 

 first two the stamens are ripe, and scattering 

 their pollen on all insect visitors. The third 

 day, however, the function of the stamens is 

 ended, but the carpels containing the seeds 

 are now ready for inoculation by pollen for 

 the first time. Here is a clever scheme to en- 

 sure cross fertilization ; but its interest for us 

 is that the flowers do not droop over on the 

 third day, because there is no longer any need 

 to protect the pollen. 



But, it may be asked, if plants and flowers 

 think rain injurious in this way, how is it 

 there are notable exceptions? The fact is that 

 most do make provision for their flowers 

 against the rain, but such provision can be 

 made in many ways. There is no real need 

 for plant or flower to turn into a "barometer" 

 to effect this. Thus in such plants as the 

 monkshood, violet, yellow rattle, snapdragon, 

 sweet-pea and others, their curiously shaped 

 petals provide a kind of permanent roof over 

 the stamens. In the globe flower the yellow 

 sepals never open out entirely, but always close 

 the stamens in. And in the arums the green 

 sheathing spathe is a permanent protection. 



Again, many plants that bear their buds in 

 an upright posture to begin with, invert them 

 into a drooping attitude directly they begin to 

 open, and remain thus until after the pollen 

 has matured. Then the stalks straighten 

 themselves again, and the fruit is borne up- 

 right. This happens with the fritillaries, the 

 water avens and brugmansias, as well as the 

 deadly night-shade, lily of the valley and many 

 others. 



Moreover, some plants have little lids on 

 their anthers or pollen-boxes. Thus the laurels 

 and bastard toad-flax are so provided, and 

 these lids close in when the weather is damp, 

 and only open when the sun is out and the air 

 quite dry. In the case of the bastard toad- 

 flax, these wonderfully ingenious "lids" are 

 so sensitive that they will shut up within 

 thirty seconds of the approach of moisture! 



