Tlie Life of the Wheat Plant from Seed to Seed. 
89 
VI. The Flower. 
figures printed in the margin refer to the corresponding figures on page 97 .) 
Towards the end of June the flower is fully ripe. The 1 
feathery styles have expanded, and the yellow stamens with 2 
their now empty anther-cells have been pushed out be}’ond the 
scales by the lengthening of their slender filaments. If we remove 3 
one of the spikelets, and tear off' the two lower glumes, we find 
the flower immediately above enclosed between two scales, the 4 
outer one thick and curved like the two that have been removed, 
and the inner (the jpale) very thin. Proceeding further to 5 
remove the outer glume, and then the pale, we have remaining (3 
the flower proper. This consists of the small fringed scales, 
the three stamens, and the pistil with its two feathery 7 
styles. The anthers burst along the line which divides each 8 
of the two lobes of the anther into its two cells, and the 
grains of pollen ai’e discharged. Much of the fine powder is 10 
carried away by the wind, but some of the fertilising granules 12 
find a resting place on the hairs of the feathery style. These 15 
hairs have the property of holding fast the pollen grains until 
they begin to grow by pushing out thin pollen-tubes into the 
intei’ior of the hair, and on down through the style into the 13 
cavity of the ovary, where they reach and fertilise the ovule. 14 
When the wheat is in full bloom the active life of the plant 
as a manufacturer of food has reached its climax. The plant 
has attained its full size, all its leaves are spread out in the air, 
and the roots have gained their greatest dimensions in the soil. 
The flowering overj the leaves and roots begin to lose their 
food-producing energy. Every part of the plant — leaves, stem, 
and roots — has been utilised for storing the surplus food. The 
building up of new tissues has ceased. The activity of the plant 
is now directed to utilising this food in the production of the 
seed. This will be more apparent if we consider the actual 
increase in weight of the dry matter of the plant, excluding the 
roots, at three stages of its life — the end of March, the end of 
June, and at harvest. Of the dry matter of the ripe plant 20 
per cent, was present by the end of March, when some four 
leaves were visible ; 45 per cent, was added by the time it was 
in full flower at the end of June ; and the remaining 35 per 
cent. . before harvest. This 35 per cent, is not, however, an 
addition to the weight of the plant by the production of new 
food, the greater portion of it had already been prepared, and 
had been sent down into the roots, to be in store there until it 
was needed. When the flowering is finished, it is transferred 
