. The origin of floral structures : through insect and other agencies. Plants; Flowers; Flowers. 162 THE STRUCTURE OF FLOWERS. spot from which to reach two drops of honey that seem to rest upon a knee-shaped bend in the upper petals (a), the leaf springs downwards (6), and the stamen is set free and flies upwards, dusting the lower surface of the insect with pollen. When the stamen has thus served its purpose, it gradually curves upwards out of the flower (c), and the style which was hitherto undeveloped grows gradually out of the flower in a horizontal direction, so as to form another alighti
. The origin of floral structures : through insect and other agencies. Plants; Flowers; Flowers. 162 THE STRUCTURE OF FLOWERS. spot from which to reach two drops of honey that seem to rest upon a knee-shaped bend in the upper petals (a), the leaf springs downwards (6), and the stamen is set free and flies upwards, dusting the lower surface of the insect with pollen. When the stamen has thus served its purpose, it gradually curves upwards out of the flower (c), and the style which was hitherto undeveloped grows gradually out of the flower in a horizontal direction, so as to form another alighting place (c)." Rapid movements in the stamens are not imknown. I described that of Medicago * many years ago, and now supply figures. Fig. 49, a repre- sents the front view of a flower on expansion ; b, the same after a bee has exploded it — the stamiual column has now arisen, curled up- wards, and abuts against the standard; c shows the curved posi- tion of the stamens, the corolla being removed. The stamens are inelastic, as they will not return to (For de- a horizonal position without break- ing across, if pressed downwards. Many other rapid movements of the filaments are too well known to need description, such as those of Berheris, Helian- themum, Sparmannia, Centaurea, and Urtica; while Orchids exhibit various movements in the caudicles of their poUinia. Besides slow movements, the pistil often exhibits rapid ones on being touched, as are known to occur in Stylidium, Ganna, Maranta and allied plants; while the flap-like stigmas of Mimulus,\ and of several genera of orders allied to the Scrophulwrinem, close together on being irritated mechanically. * Jown. Lin. 8oc., vol. ix. p. 327. t Mr. F. W. Oliver has lately investigated the mode of condnction. Fig. 49.—Medicago iatiea. BcriptioD, eee text.). Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustra
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