356 
The Magic of the Pollen 
By Arthur G. Eldredge 
When the warm breath of spring revives 
the landscape, putting tassels on the black 
alder and brings forth from the mud the 
golden treasure of the marsh marigold, 
then, there will be found floating in the very 
air we breathe that magical stuff, pollen. 
It is a long way back, down the corridors 
of time before the pine trees came into be- 
ing, that a new process of reproduction was 
being evolved in the midst of all the spore- 
bearers. The new process was founded on 
what we term pollen for want of a better 
name. Being interpreted it only means dust 
or powder, which is most often yellow. 
These golden grains carry the spark of life 
necessary for the reproduction of most of 
the plants about us. In the early forms of 
the pollen bearers it’s distribution through 
the forest was dependent on the wind. 
Wth the developement of flowering herb- 
aceous plants and some of the trees, such as 
magnolia, there came into existence a type 
of insect, the Hymenoptera, of which bees 
and hornets are a member. They were 
destined to be the unpaid workmen who, 
craving the proteins and oils of its contents 
should unconsciously carry it from flower 
to flower in the countless billions of blossoms 
that decorate the field and forest. To these 
persistent workers we owe thanks and rev- 
erence for the performance of this gigantic 
task that makes possible the fruits and fabric 
of beauty that clothes the meadow and the 
hillside. But for their efforts most of the 
flowers surely would disappear and but for 
the flowers these artizens could not exist, 
for it is the nectar and the pollen that sup- 
ports their spark of life. 
The pollination of flowers is infinitely 
more complex than appears in the above 
VHE SPECIES OF OXAUIS OCCURRING 
IN THE CAPE PENINSULA AND HOW 
TO DISTINGUISH THEM. 
(Continued from Page 355) 
luteola Jacq. Common; May-Aug. There 
is a form with purplish brown margins be- 
neath the petals (var. marginata) but it is 
hardly a variety. 
minuta Thunb. Local on damp flats; freq- 
uent about Kenilworth; May-June. 
monophylla L. Local; abundant on Lion’s 
Mt. occasional elsewhere; April-June. 
multicaulis E. and Z. Local on the east 
slopes of Devil’s Peak; May-June. 
natans L.f. Local in pools near Kenilworth; 
August-Noveimber. 
nidulans E. and Z. Occasional in rather 
damp places; July-Aug. Variety denticulata 
(W-Dod) Salter, grows in drier situations. 
obtusa Jacg. Common; July-Oct. A rather 
rare pale form occurs on the eastern slopes 
in the north. 
pes caprae L. Common; June-Oct. Former- 
ly erroneously known as O. cernua Thunb. 
A more hairy variety, sericea (L. f.) Salter, 
occurs on Lion’s Mt. 
Pocockiae L. Bolus. Local and rare in 
cliff crevices above Partridge Point; April- 
May. All the plants seen have double flow- 
ers. 
polyphylla Jacq. Common; -Mar.-June. The 
variety pentaphylla (Sims) Salter, is equally 
common. 
punciata L.f. Common; April-July. One 
of the smallest species. 
purpurea LL. Common; Apmril-Sept. The 
pink and white forms occur on Lion’s Mt. 
and the salmon form near Raapenberg Golf 
Links. Formerly known as O. variabilis 
statement. 
pollen is sterile to its own stigma and there 
fore it must have pollen from another plant 
of the same species; lilies are a good ex- 
ample of this. There are numerous flowers 
that habitually self pollinate because of 
weather conditions which prevent their open+ 
ing and prevents insects from coming.. 
Plants of the boreal zone are in this class, for 
example some gentians. There are a host 
of flowers that have extraordinary provisions 
to promote the reception of insect borne 
pollen from a distant flower but if, pre- 
chance, the insect does not arrive, the flower 
will, at the last day pollinate itself, holly- 
hocks for example. 
The orchids are mechanically unique m 
their devices to insure cross pollination and 
in most cases by a very specific insect be- 
cause the arrangement of the parts is adjust- 
ed to that particular insect’s head. If the 
insect does not come there will be no seed. 
An all-wise Creator has worked both ways 
in this problem for is it not the insect whose 
physical structure and abiliities and whose 
desires for certain colors and flavors of 
nectar has helped to bring about the var- 
iations of this particular blossom and its ad- 
justments to their performance? The Hymen- 
optera have been for eighty million years 
working at the job and it is not strange that 
something has been accomplished. 
Cross-pollination is essential to preserve 
vigor, virility, quality and size, in fruit and’ 
seed. Hybridization is constantly occurring 
but the developement and fixation of a new 
species occurs but slowly in the natural way. 
This is but a fragment of the story that goes 
on so unobstrusively about us to create so 
much that is beautiful and useful and which 
we take so much for granted. 
Jacq., but it was first named purpurea by 
Linnaeus. 
pusilla Jacq. Frequent on flats; May-June. 
A very small species. 
stellata E. and Z., variety glandulosa Salter. 
Local and rare below cliffs above Partridge 
Point; April-May. Partial to shade. 
tennuifolia Jacq. Occasional on flats and 
slopes; Devil’s Peak, Wynberg Hill and Ken- 
ilworth Race Course; June-August. 
tomentosa L.f. Local, but abundant on 
Lion’s Mt; April-June. 
versicolor LL. Common; May-Sept. The 
form on the hill slopes is softly hairy; that 
on the flats usually has gland-tipped hairs 
on the calyx. 
NOTE: One must keep in mind that the 
flowering dates are stated for the Southern 
Hemisphere and ‘north and south’ mean the 
opposite. 
Tropical Rarities 
MIAMI SUPREME GARDINIA 
PEDILANTHUS, BRYOPHYLLUM 
DRACAENA, WHITE HAWAIIAN 
GINGER LILY, VARIEGATED 
CROTON, IXORA, BILBERGIA, 
HOUSE PALM, VARIEGATED 
HIBISCUS, 10 cuttings TRIPLE 
FIREBALL POINSETTIA, 
eack item $1.25 prepaid.....Complete 
Corsage Kit or Dried Tropical Ar- 
rangement Kit $1.75 prepaid. Any 
5 Tropical Plants, $4.50 prepaid 
JUDY'S JUNGLE 
6318 NE Miami Pl., Miami, 38, Fla. 
There are many flowers whose . 
DROUGHT PERIODS 
Here in Michigan it has been known that 
the high and low water levels of the Great 
Lakes act on eleven-year periods; every elev- 
en years it reaches its highest Jevel and in 
another five and a half years it is at its 
‘ lowest. A 
These highs and lows, of course, indicate 
the amount of rainfall in the Great Lakes 
drainage area. Of late years, the interfer- 
ence with the water at Chicago by their 
drainage canal into the Mississippi river and 
again at Niagara Falls by the power plants, 
has changed the heights, especially at high 
levels but of late complaints have been made 
that low water, in the low-water periods, 
makes many docks useless. 
During the early 30’s, we had a very dry 
period (1932), again in 1943. This year it 
was not a ‘rainy’ year and one may also look 
for the same next year. But, according to 
past experiences, it is very probable that a 
wet period will again appear around 1958. 
The lowering of water levels at Chicaga 
might have some additional effect on crop 
growing conditions, especially in Michigan. 
Certainly, with the lakes almost encirculing 
Michigan, its water level must be the saine 
as the lakes and as they raise and fall, so 
must, also, the water level inland. 
We have always been rather large grow- 
ers of garden bean seed, and this crop espec- 
ially reacts on rainfall, both in growing and, 
especially in the harvesting, so this cycle 
has always been very noticeable to us. 
I wonder if this eleven-year rainfall cycle 
is common the world over? 
ORCHIDS FOR THE SMALL GARDEN. 
In the special amateur orchid issue of 
the Missouri Botanical Garden, the following 
species are mentioned as being grown suc- 
cessfully by the various writers. 
Cattleya gigas, C. Luddemanniana or C. 
especiosissima and their hybrids, C. Trianae, 
C. Mossiae and their hybrids. 
Dendrobiums and Phalaenopsis, Cypriped- 
iums and Cymbidiums seem to be popuiar. 
Dendrobium nobile and D. Phalaenopsis are 
especially mentioned. Another orchid grow- 
er seems to be especially interested in Cym- 
bidiums but also grows Cattleyas, Phalaenop- 
sis, Oncidium, Cebolleta, Dendrobiums, Od- 
cntoglossum, Vandas, Coelogyne pandurata, 
Laelia Gouldiana, several species and hy~ 
brids of Miltonia, are also grown by this 
grower. She also mentions Columnea 
glousosa and Fittonia Verschaffeltii. 
Another grower has Epidendrum tampense 
one of the easiest orchids for the amateur 
but other kinds are mentioned. 
A “beginner” grows Cattieyas, Cymbid- 
iums, Dendrobiums, Odontoglossums and 
Oncidiums, about 125 plants altogether. 
It would be of interest to hear from our 
readers who have small greenhouses, either 
growing orchids or other kinds of fowers. 
Your experiences are most valuable to other 
growers, even your mistakes are worth re- 
cording. 
OTHONNA CRASSIFOLIA. 
I note on Page 103 that a reader wants 
seed of “little pickles”. This is a common 
succulent, Othonna crassifolia or more prop- 
erly, O. capensis. As all other Othonnas 
are self sterile and as undoubtly all plants of 
this species in this country are descended 
from one original import, it’s very unlikely 
that any seed is available in any nursery 
handling succulents. I do not see why seed 
is necessary. 
Myron’ Kimnach,, Richmond, California. 
