Home › Tropæolum Stories › Tropæolum Stories (One flower is often left)

Tropæolum Stories (One flower is often left)

one flower is often left in another, and this is what the tropæolum wants. It wishes its pollen to reach another flower, and uses the bees and the humming birds as its messengers.

Its stamens lie flat on the floor of the flower.

When one is about to ripen its anther rises and stands up in front of the spur, where the nectar is ready. Then out bursts the fine red pollen. Only one anther ripens at a time. It sometimes takes several days for the tropæolum to shed all its pollen. As soon as the pollen is gone the anther lies down again out of the way.

The stamens do not crowd the doorway of the spur; they lie down out of the way until they ripen, then they stand in front of the spur, and when their pollen is shed they lie down again.

They do not obstruct the way to the nectary because they wish the bees and birds to find an easy entrance.

Why does one anther ripen at a time? Why do not all shed pollen together, as is the habit of the all shed pollen together, as is the habit of the morning-glory, and finish in one day?

Perhaps the tropæolum fears the rain may ruin the chances of the seeds to get pollen. We know chances of the seeds to get pollen. We know that water spoils the pollen, and though the tropæolum has fringes to keep it from the nectary,