. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. 584 Handbook of Nature-Study young of a snout beetle, which is a far more dangerous enemy of Ihe mullein than is the sheep. The mullein plant is like the old woman who lived in a shoe in the matter of blossom-children; she has so many that they are unkempt and irregular, but there are normally four yellow or white petals and a five-lobed calyx. I have never been able to solve the problem of the five stamens which, when the flower opens, are folded together in a knock-kneed fashion. Th
. Handbook of nature-study for teachers and parents, based on the Cornell nature-study leaflets. Nature study. 584 Handbook of Nature-Study young of a snout beetle, which is a far more dangerous enemy of Ihe mullein than is the sheep. The mullein plant is like the old woman who lived in a shoe in the matter of blossom-children; she has so many that they are unkempt and irregular, but there are normally four yellow or white petals and a five-lobed calyx. I have never been able to solve the problem of the five stamens which, when the flower opens, are folded together in a knock-kneed fashion. The upper three are bearded below the anthers, the middle being the shortest. The lower two are much longer and have no fuzz on their filaments; they at first stand straight out, with the stigma between them; but after the upper anthers have shed their pollen, these 1,2. Mullein flowers in different slages.^^^'^'^-^^ curve up like boars' teeth and 3. Mullein seed enlarged. 4. A bit Splash their pollen On the upper petals, of Mullein leaf enlarged. the stigma protruding desolately and one-sidedly below. Later the corolla, stamens and all, falls off, leaving the stigma and style attached to the seed-capsule. The color of the mullein flowers varies from lemon-yellow to white. The filaments are pale yellow; the anthers and pollen, orange. The seed- capsule is encased in the long calyx-lobes, and is shaped like a blunt egg. Cutting it in two crosswise, the central core, tough and flattened and almost filling the capsule, is revealed and, growing upon its surface, are numberless tiny, brown seeds, as fine as gunpowder. Later the capsule divides partially in quarters, opening wide enough to shake out the tiny seeds with every wandering blast. The seed, when seen through a lens, is very pretty; it looks like a section of a corncob, pitted and ribbed. A nice point of investigation for some junior naturalist is to work out the fertilization of the mullein flower, and note what insects assi
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