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136
My Studio Neighbors
·
W. Hamilton Gibson
96
The
early
ancestors
of
this
flower
were
self-fertilized;
a
chance
seedling
at
length,
among
other
continual
variations,
showed
the
singular
variation
of
ripening
its
stigma
in
advance
of
its
pollen--or
other
condition
insuring
cross-fertilization--thus
acquiring
a
strain
of
fresh
vigor.
The
seedlings
of
this
flower,
coming
now
into
competition
with
the
existing
weaker
self-fertilized
forms,
by
the
increased
vigor
won
in
the
struggle
of
their
immediate
surroundings,
and
inheriting
the
peculiarity
of
their
parent,
showed
flowers
possessing
the
same
cross-fertilizing
device.
The
seeds
from
these,
again
scattering,
continued
the
unequal
struggle
in
a
larger
and
larger
field
and
in
increasing
numbers,
continually
crowding
out
all
their
less
vigorous
competitors
of
the
same
species,
at
length
to
become
entire
masters
of
the
field
and
the
only
representatives
left
to
perpetuate
the
line
of
descent.
Thus
we
find
in
almost
every
flower
we
meet
some
astonishing
development
by
which
this
cross-fertilization
is
effected,
by
which
the
transferrence
of
the
pollen
from
one
flower
to
the
stigma
of
another
is
assured,
largely
through
the
agency
of
insects,
frequently
by
the
wind
and
water,
occasionally
by
birds.
In
many
cases
this
is
assured
by
the
pollen-bearing
flowers
and
stigmatic
flowers
being
entirely
distinct,
as
in
cucumbers
and
Indian-corn;
perhaps
on
different
plants,
as
in
the
palms
and
willows;
again
by
the
pollen
maturing
and
disseminating
before
the
stigma
is
mature,
as
already
mentioned,
and
vice
versa.
From
these,
the
simplest
forms,
we
pass
on
to
more
and
more
complicated
conditions,
anomalies
of
form
and
structure--devices,
mechanisms,
that
are
past
belief
did
we
not
observe
them
in
actuality
with
our
own
eyes,
as
well
as
the
absolutely
convincing
demonstration
of
the
intention
embodied:
exploding
flowers,
shooting
flowers,
flower-traps,
stamen
embraces,
pollen
showers,
pollen
plasters,
pollen
necklaces,
and
floral
pyrotechnics--all
demonstrations
in
the
floral
etiquette
of
welcome
and
au
revoir
to
insects.
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Marker
Fine marker
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Fine white-out
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Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
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