Personality of plants

PERSONALITY OF PLANTS
it is easy enough for them to thrust their blos-
soms up into the air, where they may be as dry
as though they were on land. The sub-aqueous
plants have a harder problem and are some-
times driven to developing their flowers in leaf
air-chambers below the surface. The Water
Chestnut (Trapa Natans) makes itself buoy-
ant at its flowering period with generated air
and rises en masse to the surface. After fertili-
zation, it sinks again to its sub-aqueous quiet.
Self-fertilization in its strictest sense occurs
within the individual flower. Plants only resort
to it as an extreme measure and commonly
make use of many devices to prevent it. In
the Iris, the petal-like stamens are in direct
contact with the pistil and yet self-fertilization
does not result, because the pollen surface is
always carefully turned away from the ovary.
By bringing their pistils and stamens to maturity
at different times, many flowers make
sure that they will not fertilize themselves.
Such is the case in the Bulbous Buttercup and
the Arrowhead.
Flowers of the same tree or bush might be
called distant cousins. Their union results in
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