ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY univ ; Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924001762487 Flower kicoloqy - & Y) 7 BY 3" fe L: Ho PAMMEL. Press of J. B. Hungerford. This book is dedicated to my parents, as an appreciation for what they have done for me. SS TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Fiower Ecouoay: History 1,“pollination and fertiliza- tion, adaptations for sexual reproduction, conditions op- posed to self-fertilization 2, self-fertilization, methods of bringing fertilizing bodies together 5. CHAPTER II. Hypropau.ous: Eel grass 7, lemna 8, water weed 9. CHAPTER III. AwnemopHitous: Grasses, lodicules 12, time of opening of flowers 18, corn, wheat 15, tall meadow oat grass 17, woody plauts, hazel 17, pine 18, alder 19, aquatic plants, herbaceous plants 20. CHAPTER 1V. Entomorpuitous 21, bees 22, butterflies and moths 26, flies and beetles 28, reasons for attraction, modes of attrac- tion 80, attraction of insects 31, color variations 34, odors of flowers 37. CHAPTER V. SreciaL Apaprations: Ranunculaceae 40, Berberid- aceae 41, Fumariaceae 42, Cruciferae 43, ‘Violaceae 44, Cary: SUSE hs 2 URI eces patios malvllacers 44, Geraniaceae 46, Vitaceae, Leguminosae 47, Rosaceae 55, Saxifragaceae 59, Lythraceae 60, Onagraceae 62, Cucurbitaceae 64, Umbelliferae 66, Caprifoliaceae 67, Compositae 68, Lobeliaceae 78, Campanulaceae, Ericaceae 74, Primulaceae 75, Oleaceae 77, Asclepiadaceae 78, Gentia- naceae 80, Polemoniaceae, Borraginaceae 81, Convolvulaceae 82, Solanaceae 83, Scrophulariaceae 84, Labiateae 87, Aristo- lochiaceae 92, Elaeagnaceae 93, Urticaceae 94, Salicaceae 96, Orchidaceae 97, Iridaceae 107, Liliaceae 108, Araceae 113, CHAPTER VI. FLOWERS AND THEIR UNBIDDEN Guxsts: Perforation of flowers 116, How flowers are protected 117. CHAPTER VII. Cross anp Seur-Fermuization or Prants: Cross-fertili- - zation 121, impotency 127, cucurbits 129, pears 130, superi- ority of crossed plants, 131, self-pollination 132, cleistoga- mous flowers 133, Autogamy and Alpine plants, Autogamy in grasses 135, Cause for cleistogamy 136. CHAPTER VIII. The effect of cross-fertilization in plants 139. CHAPTER IX. Hysrips 146, parental characters 147, rose hybrids 150, Apples 151, cucurbits 152, ternary hybrids 153, graft hy- brids 154, prepotency 153. WORKS OF REFERENCE. Sprengel—Das endeckte geheimniss, der natur im bau und der befruchtung der blumen. Berlin, 1793. Gray - structural botany, p. 215. MacLeod—Lijst von Boeken, Verhandelingen, enz omtrent de bevruchting der bloemen, von 1883 to 1885 verschenen. Botanisch Jaarboek, tweeds jaargang 1890. Kruidkundig genootschopte Dodonaea te Gent. A. Mueller—Die befruchtung der blumen durch insekten. Leipzig, 1873. English translation by D’arcy W. Thompson, London. 1883, Die alpenblumen, ihre befruchtung durch insekten, und ihre anpassung an dieselben. Leipzig, 1881, ete,, ete. Fritz Mueller—Flowers and insects. Nature, Vol. XVII, p. 78, 1878. Two kinds of stamens with different function in the same flower. Nature, Vol. XXVILI, p. 364, 1883, ete., etc. Axell—Om anordningarna for fanerogama vaxternas befruktning, Stock- holm, 1869, etc., etc. Hildebrand--Ueber die befruchtung der salbeiarten durch insekten. Bonn, Sitzber. Niederrheimgesellsch, pp 54-56, 1864. On the impregnation of orchids as a proof of the two different effects of pollen, Ann. and Magazine of Nat. Hist., Series 3, Vol. XII, pp. 169-174, 1863. Die geschlechter vertheilung bei den pflanzen. pp. 92. Leipzig, 1867. John Lubbock—On British wild flowers considered in relation to insects. London, 1875. Scientific lectures (Leeture I, fiowers and inseets). London, 1879. Grant Allen—The colors of flowers as illustrated by the British flora Na- ture, Vol. XXVI, pp. 299, 323, 346, 871. London, 1882. Delpino—Ulteriori osservazioni sulla dichogamia nel regno vegetable Milan, Part I, 1868, 1869; Part II fase. I, 1870; fase, II, 1875. A. Kerner—Die schuetzmittel der bluethen gegen unberufene gaeste. Vien- na, 1876. Translated by Dr. Wm. gle, ‘flowers and their unbidden guests.” London, 1878. Pflanzenleben. Vol. II, p. 91-447. Engl. Translation, Oliver Natural His- tory of Plants. Forbes—Selective discrimination of insects. Nature, Vol. XVII, p. 62, 1878. Bennett—Insects and Flowers. Popular Science Review, Vol. XIV, pp. 118- 125, 1875. Francis Darwin—Bees visiting flowers, papilionaceae, Nature, Vol. IX, p. 189, 1874. Alpine flowers, a review of Hermann Mueller’s alpenblumen. Nature, Vol. XXIII, p. 338, 1881. Charles Darwiu—Fertilization of orchids. London, 1862. The effects of cross and self-fertilization in the vegetable kingdom. Lon- don, 1876. The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species, etc. Loew—Beitraege zur Kenntniss der Bestaubungs einrichtungen einiger lnbiaten with two Plates. Ber. d. deut. bot Gesellsch. Berlin, Vol. IV, 1836, pp. 118-143, plates V and VI, ete. Zur Biologie der Apccyneen Bot. Centralblatt, Vol. VII, No. 45, 1881. Ueber die biologischen eigenthumlichkeiten der plantagineen. Bot. Cen- tralblatt, No. 39, 1880, ete,; Pflanzenbiologie. Asa Gray—Structural botany, New York and Chicago, 1879.- How plants behave, New York, 1872. Cleistogamous flowers in exybaphus nyctaginea. Am. Naturalist. Vol. VII, p 692, 1878 Cross-ferliiization of scrophularia nodosa. Journal of Botany, Vol. IX, p. 375, 1871, ete, W. Trelease— Nectar, what it is and some of its uses. Report upon cotton insects. By Henry Comstock, Washington, 1879. On the structure which favors cross-fertilization in several plants. Pro- ceedings Boston Soc. of Nat. Hist , Vol. XXI, 1882, Mch. 15. The nectary of yucca. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, New York, 1836, p. 135, Rep Mo Bot. Garden, ete. Charles Robertson—Note on the mode of pollination of asclepias. Bot. Ga- zette Vol. XII. 1887, p. 288. : Flowers andinsects. Bot. Gazette Vol. XIV, p. 120, etc. Am. Nat. Vol. XX1X, p. 97. Trans. Acad. of Sci. St. Louis, Vol. VI. No 14, ete., ete. C. V. Riley Observations on the fertilization of yucca and on the structural and anatomical peculiarities in pronuba and prodaxus. Aw. Naturalists, Vol. XVII, 1883, p. 197. . On the oviposition of the yucca moth. Transaction of St Louis Acad. of Sci., st Louis, Vol. IIT, No. 2, p 208, Seeaiso Vol. III, p. 568,ete. Rep. Missouri Bot. Garden, 1892, Foerste—The fertilization of the wild bean (phaseolus diversifolius). Am, Naturalist, Vol. XIX, p. 887. 1885. Notes on structure adapted to cross-fertiliza- tion with plate. Bot. Gazette, Vol. XIII, 181, p.151. The nectar glands of apiostuberosa. Bull. Torrey Bot. (lub, Vol XI, p. 123, 1884, ete. Sensitive stigmas as an aid to the cross-fertilization of flowers. Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. of Sci. (Buffalo) 1876, p. 286, ete. C. M. Weed—Ten New England blossoms and their insect vis tors. PREFACE. It has always seemed desirable to me to give some in- struction along ecological lines in a general course in botany. Ecology considers the external relations of plants, and no field offers greater opportunities to awaken an interest in botany than the relations existing between flowers and _in- sects and other agents in bringing about pollination. Much of the material contained in the following pages has appeared before in some lectures delivered at the meet- ings of the horticultural societies of this state. { have how- ever added considerable new material. Ihave made free use of published papers on the subject, especially those of Robertson, Mueller, Ludwig, Trelease, Gray, Riley, Bailey, Kerner and others, full credit has been given in the proper places. I am also under obligations to Mr. C. R. Ball who has assisted me in various ways as well as Mr. Combs; Mr. E. D. Ball who made some of the insects determinations for me, and some help from Prof. H. Osborn and Mr. W. Newell. To all I wish to express my sincere thanks. CHAPTER L FLOWER ECOLOGY, Few questions have attracted greater and more attention than the adaption to secure cross fertilization. Aside from the interest scientists take in this question, it has a practical bearing on horticultural and agricultural problems. When we remember that horticulturists are turning their attention to the improvement of our native fruits by cross fertilization and hybridization, we must accord to this subject a prom- inent place. Insects have played a very important-part in rendering flowers attractive. It is well known that many plants can- not produce seed unless ang insect or some other agent con- veys the pollen from anther to stigma. It is interesting to follow the history of this phase of botany. It is now one hundred years since the foundation of this study was laid. The keen and sharp observer, Christian Conrad Sprengel, published a remarkable book on the structure of flowers and their relation to insects. allhough be made some observations as early as 1787. In speaking of the hairs on the corolla of a Geranium he says: ‘‘The wise Author of Nature would not have created even a hair in vain.” Earlier than this Koel- reuter saw the necessity of insect visitors to sume flowers. Sprengel surmised that these hairs served to protect the honey from rain. This work was almost lost sight of till the brilliant mind of Darwin saw the full import of Spren- History. 2 gel’s observations. Darwin’s work ‘On the Fertilization of Orchids,” published in 1862, gave un impetus to the study which hs continued till the present time. D’Aarcy W. Thompson in 1883 gives the titles of 814 papers; J. Mac- Leod, 638 papers from 1883 to 1890. Among the numerous workers in this line I can only mention afew: Hermann Mueller, Fritz Mueller, Avxell, Hildebrand, Lubbock, Grant Allen, Delpino, Kerner, von Marilaun, Forbes, Bennett, Darwin, Loew and Lud- wig. In our own country: Gray, Trelease, Riley, Foerste and Beal; Weed. The work of Mr. Charles Robertson, of Carl- inville, Illinois, deserves special mention. He has done an enormous amount of careful and conscientious work. No other American botanist has collected such valuable data. ‘Those interested in this subject should consult these papers. At the out set it is well to have a clear understanding of what is meant by pollin- ation and fertilization. Pollination is simply the conveying of pollen from the anther to the stigma. Fertilization occurs after the pollen has reached the stigma; it is the impregnation of the ovule. Fertilization has been defined as the union of protoplasm of two different cells. Pollination and Fertilization. In most higher plants both kinds of organs occur in the same flower, . so that it is possible to have close fertilization—autogamous;—or from flower to flower in the same plant—geitonogamous. But the rule is to be cross fer- tilized —xenogamous. Adaptatibus for Sexual Reproduction. Diorcrous. Stamens and pistils oc- cur on different individuals, as in willow. Conditious opposed To Self Fertilization. 3 TrioEctov's. Staminate, pistillate, and hermaphrodite flowers on different branches, as in ash. Monoecious. Staminate and pistillate flowers separ- ated but on the same plant, as in corn, melon, oak, ete. p FIG 1. Fig. 1. Eel grass (Vallisneria spiralis) ;—a. pistillate flower; b. male flower; c. floating staminate flowers with pollen. (After Lubbock). Gynopiorcious. Somé plants produce hermaphrodite flowers, others only pistils without stamens, as in thyme. ANDROMONOECIOUS. Some plants produce hermaphro- 4 dite flowers, others only stamens, as in buckeye. DicnHocamous. Stamens and pistils mature at different times. Proterandrous: Stamens mature before-pistil, as in sunflower. Proterogynous: Pistil matures before stamens, as in Plantain. Heterodichogamous: Occurence of two kinJs of plants of the same species—some proterandrous, others protero; gynous. a — FIG. 2. Fig, 2. Flowers of Vallisneria spiralis on the surface of the water, The float- ing staminate flowers; one has come in contact with the stigmas. (After Ker- ner von Marilaun). Dirropocamous. Stamens and pistils in the same plant | but at different heights. Stamens on other individuals cor- responding in heights to pistils and vice versa: Heterodistylous: Occurence of two kinds of plants, some plants having long stamens and a short style and others having short stamens and a long style, as in primrose. 5 Heterctristylous: Some plants having a long. style and stamens of hoth short and of medium length in the same flower; a second kind having long stamens and stamens of medium length and a short style; a third plant has short and long stamens and a pistil of medium length correspond- ing to those of medium length stamens, as in oxalis, lythrum, ete. AuTaricynots. Self sterile plants. The pollen of a flower or ofa plant will not fertilize the ovule of that plant. Cases numerous, clover, calamus, ete. Cieistocamous. Flowers do not open as in the flowers of some Violets, Dead Nettle and some grasses. Delpino has made two divis- ions: (1.) ZooGamous, in which fertilizing bodies move of their own accord. In lower plants, algae, sume fungi, ete. I. Diamesocamous, in which movement is brought about by some foreign agent. We are concerned here with those of our second division. The agents may be arranged as follows: 1. Hypropuinous. Pollination is brought about by the water. 2. ANEMOPHILOUS. Wind is the agent. 8. Zoriopuiueus. Pollination is brought about by animals. a. ORNITHOPHILOUs. Pollination is brought about by birds that look for insects or nectar. b. Entomoruinous. Pollination brought about by insects. 1. Meuirropuiovs. large bees. Setf Fertilization In Platts. X Methods of Bringing Fertilizing Bodies Together. 2 OO Ge Ov ye oe be 6 MICROMELITTOPHILOUS, small bees and other insects. | Miopuitous, flies (Diptera). MicroMioPHiLovus, small diptera. SaPROMYOPHILOUS, carrion flies. CANTHAROPHILOUS, beetles, (Cleoptera). Psycopuitous, butterflies, (Lepidoptera). SPINGoPHiLous, moths and sphin. Matacopuitovus. Snails, CHAPTER II. HYDROPHILOUS. Few flowers are pollinated by water. Vallisneria spiralis is an excellent illustration. It is a commonplant found in ponds and slow running streams in many parts of the eastern United States.. It is stemless, bearing linear, thin, ribbon-like leaves. The flowers are dioecious. The Eel Grass FIG. 3. Fig. 3. Duckweed (Lemna minor). 1, plant with only one pistil mature: 2, the same with the first stamen mature: 3, both stamens mature, magniged six times; 4, a fully developed flower magnified twenty-five times. (After Trelease.) pistillate flowers are solitary and borne on long, slender threads, which bring it to the surface of the water. The flower consists of a perianth composed of three petals and three small sepals. The three large stigmas are two-lobed and are so situated in the mature flowers that they turn back beyond the three petals; hence it is important that the sepals should be small. The staminate flowers are numerous and 8 crowded in a head at the bottom. When nearly mature the staminate flowers break away from the plant and come to the surface of the water, on which they float. In this con- dition it forms a ball, but when fully mature the petals turn back, forming a skiff like arrangement. the stamens length- en ont and the anther cells open. Each anther contians thirty eight large, more or less viscid, pollen grains. The three skiff like sepals are admirably adopted to float on water. Short waves or currents of wind drive them along until they come against a solid object, where they remain, and if it be a pistillate flower the stamens come in contact with it, leaving tbe pollen attached to the stigmas. After fertilization the threads that bear the fertile flowers coil up spirally. drawing the fruit under water. to ripen. Lremva. Species of duckweeds are admirably adapted to water pollination. The following account of pollination of Lema minor is based on the observations made by Trelease. Duckweeds are among the smallest of flowering plants and form scums on the surface of ponds and slow running streams in summer. They are very simple in their. structure. -Each fertile found produces a single flower from a cleft in the margin. ‘The flower consists of a single pistil and (wo stamens and a subtending bract. When the flower ‘expands, the pistil elongates sufficiently to expose about half its length beyond the tips of the marginal fissure of the frond. The stigma becomes moist by the exudation of 4 fluid; and is now receptive. In this condition it remains. some days when the stamen furthest from the base of the frond becomes exserted, attaining the length of the pistil when it dehisces, the pollei remaining heaped in the open cells of the anther. The second stamen dehisces several days later. The flowers are therefore strongly proterogyt- 9 ous. ‘Surface currants due to the wind. or other causes crowd the plantlets together in masses in which the relations of the several individuals are incessantly changing.” The receptive stigmas must be pushed against the oider anthers, through which they are pollinated. While there is in this case an admirable adaptation for cross pollination, self- fer- tilization may result when the pollen of the older stamen drops on the stigma. FIG. 4. Fig. 4. (Potamogeton crispus)—Staminate flowers with debisceing anthers shown on the left. Pistillate flowers with large viscid stigmas onthe right. (After Kerner von Marilaum.) , Another interesting plant pollinated by water is Hlodea canadensis commonly found in slow running streams and ponds northern United States. Water Weed. Fig. 4 (Indian Corn, Zea mays,)—A. pistillate spike. B, pistillate flowers with envelopes. J, same showing long silken thread. B-o, Staminate flowers with loosely hanging stamens (from Hackel.) 11 It has also attracted codsiderable attention in Europe from the fact that it has become a vertiable nuisance in choking canals and streams. The plant bears three kinds of ffowers: Stamin- ate, hermaphrodite and pistillate. But all of these forms apparently never appear together. Staminute and pistillate occurring together. The fertile flowers are born on a long tube which in most cases comes to the surface of the water where it expands. The staminate flowers are attached at the bottom; they break off as in Vallisneria, come to the surface and float on the water. When fully mature they expand and shed their pollen around the stigmas. Several other plants especially the Asiatic Vallisneria alternifolia and the tropical African Lagarosiphon are pollinated in a similar way, CHAPTER III. ANEMOPHILOUS. wink The flowers in this class are usually dull in color, con- tain no nectar; the sexes are often separated, 7. e , they occur in different flowers, one flower staminate, the other pistillate. Both kinds of ftowers are either on the same plant, when they are said to be monoecious, or when one plant bears either staminate or pistillate ftowers it is said to be dioecious. In wind pollinated flowers the anthers are borne in such a way that the slightest breeze will cause the pollen to be shaken out. The anthers always contain an abundance of pollen. The pollen graina are light, not viscid, and easily carried by the wind. These important plants, numerous in species, are almost exclusively pollinated by the wind. The flowers are usually hermaphrodite, some monoecious and some dioecious. In quite a number there is a difference in the time of maturing of stamens and pistil. Lodicuies. Many of the flowers of grasses have a pair of small scales (lodicules). They are close together, and the bases are somewhat grown together. Hackel says. ‘The rapid swelling of the bases, at least. causes the separation of the flowering glume and palea, and consequently the opening of the flower.” In grasses where these scales swell but little, the ftowers do not open very far. When they are absent the spikelets are closed at the sides and the stamens and pistil only protrude at the apex. These scales are very turgid at the time of flowering. Grasses. 18 Time of Opening of Flowers. It is well known that tem- perture and moisture greatly inflnence the opening of ftow- ers. Rains and lows temperature may retard the opening FIG. 5. Fig. 5. Tall meadow oat grass, (Arrhenatherum elatius). Wind pollinated, showing how anthers open and the long plumose stigmas protruded. 1, Closed anther. 2, Anopened anther. 3, Parts of the pisti] separated. 4, The effect wind has on the flowers. (After Kerner von Marilaun.) not only hours, but days. Dry air and a high temperature also retards opening. The ftowers of grasses open early in Fig. 6. Filbert (Corylus avellana) showing fruits to the left and large stami- nate catkins and the short axillary branches with pistillate flowers to the right. The stigmas arered. (After Kerner von Marilaun]. : 15 the morning, usually when there is some dew on the grass. Mr. F. A. Sirrine found about Ames that flowers usually open between 5 and 9 a. m. The ftowers of Festuca elatior open before 7 a. m., Andropogon provincialis before 7 a. m. Some, however, open between 5 and 7 p. m. Kerner Marilaun states 4 to 5 a.m. for'Poa and Koeleria, 5 to 6 a. m. for Briza media and wheat (Triticum), Tto 8 a.m. for oats (Avena) and timothy (Phlewm), 11 a. m. Agrostis,4 p. m.