29.03.2013 Views

Personality of plants

Personality of plants

Personality of plants

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

PERSONALITY OF PLANTS<br />

withered and dead, but with the coming <strong>of</strong> the<br />

stars, they open up to show conspicuous white<br />

or light-tinted interiors. A flower like the<br />

Silene also exhales a rich, sensuous odor, which,<br />

with its light colour, serves to attract such in-<br />

sects as are abroad at night.<br />

Sycamore and Lime trees have humble allies<br />

in the tiny mites which live in the retreats built<br />

<strong>of</strong> hairs to be found at the places where the veins<br />

<strong>of</strong> the leaves fork. During the day they hide<br />

away from sight, but at night they come out and<br />

scour the leaves clean <strong>of</strong> noxious bacteria and<br />

fungus spores.<br />

Pollen <strong>of</strong> different <strong>plants</strong>, when examined<br />

under the miscrope, reveals wonderful facts<br />

about the reciprocal relations which exist be-<br />

tween <strong>plants</strong> and insects. Wind-fertilized<br />

<strong>plants</strong> are nearly always without any special<br />

beauty <strong>of</strong> form, colour or scent, while <strong>plants</strong><br />

which are fertilized by insects are most always<br />

conspicuous, brightly coloured and highly<br />

scented. In the same way, pollen <strong>of</strong> the Hazel,<br />

Birch, and Balsam Poplar, which is carried by<br />

the wind, is small, light, practically spherical<br />

and devoid <strong>of</strong> proturberances. Pollen <strong>of</strong> the<br />

[78]

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!