12 
LITTLE WANDERERS. 
stem will grow very long indeed ; if among short grass 
it will not grow so long. 
By this time you can guess why. 
When the seeds are ripe and the silky plumes all 
nicely formed that stem stands up! 
It stands straight up 
and looks over the tops 
of the grasses. Then the 
green bracts on the out- 
side turn back, and the 
silky tufts spread out and 
pull themselves free from 
the remains of the tiny 
flowers which have with- 
ered and are no longer 
yellow. They do not fall 
off when the flower first 
closes, but make a little 
cap to protect the growing akenes, and when these get 
ready to open out the cap is pushed off by them. 
The hollow stem stands up, and its lovely silky head 
of plumed akenes shines in the sunlight. 
There is nothing much prettier in the plant world than 
this head of fairy dandelion akenes all ready to fly away. 
They stand and shine until a breeze comes along 
that is strong enough to dislodge them, then all in a 
moment they are off sailing through the air. 
Opening out and push- 
ing off the cap. 
