Plants and their ways in South Africa . ripe, thelong slender filamentshang out and dangletheir anthers in the large fields ofIndian Corn are growingthe air is heavy withpollen which they will find no pistil inthese flowers. Pistils pro-duce the seed, and we donot look for seed in thetassels. Down below, ifall goes well, seeds willripen in the the long silks atthe top of the ears. Turnback the large bracts(husks), and trace someof the silks to the kernelof grain. Each grain isan ovary containing asingle seed, and partly Pollination and Fertilization 157 enclosed
Plants and their ways in South Africa . ripe, thelong slender filamentshang out and dangletheir anthers in the large fields ofIndian Corn are growingthe air is heavy withpollen which they will find no pistil inthese flowers. Pistils pro-duce the seed, and we donot look for seed in thetassels. Down below, ifall goes well, seeds willripen in the the long silks atthe top of the ears. Turnback the large bracts(husks), and trace someof the silks to the kernelof grain. Each grain isan ovary containing asingle seed, and partly Pollination and Fertilization 157 enclosed by two bracts. The silk is the long style, the upperportion of which is stigmatic. Examine Kafir Corn. Where are stamens and grainsborne ? The white spathe of Zantedeschia ( Arum ) surrounds aceritral column, on the lower part of which ovaries are upper portion is not ripe until a few days after the stigmasare. It consists of stamens closely crowded, which will in timedischarge quantities of white pollen. The spathe or bract. Fig. 156.—Spadix of Zantedeschia cethiopica, Spreng, with one half ofspathe. Tne pistillate flowers are below, the staminate flowers above. (FromEdmonds and Marloths Elementary Botany for South Africa .) surrounds a spadix of flowers, the pistillate below and staminateat the top. These are only a few examples of imperfect or diclinousflowers. Why should stamens and pistils be separated indiflerent flowers ? Often on different plants ? We are beginning to feel sufficiently acquainted withflowers to ask for confidences not revealed to chance acquaint-ances. If we find a new acquaintance on the veld, let usknow all we can about it before it is pressed. Some of them I 5 8 Plants and their Ways in South Africa have not wholly revealed themselves until they are pastpressing. The pleasure in knowing a flowers structure and plan isincreased when we learn a meaning of the endless variety offorms and markings from patient watching or from reading whatot
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectplants, bookyear1915
