Plants and their children

by Frances Theodora Parsons

Fig. 183

The next picture (Fig. [183]) shows you a group of dust grains from flowers of different kinds, one looking like a porcupine, another like a sea shell, another like some strange water animal, and all, I fancy, quite unlike any idea you may have had as to the appearance of a grain of flower dust.

When you are older, I hope it may be your good luck to see through a microscope some of the odd shapes and curious markings of different kinds of flower dust, or “pollen,” as this flower dust is called in the books.

And now that you know something of the appearance of flower dust, perhaps you wish to learn a little more of the way in which it helps the flower to turn into the fruit.

ABOUT PISTILS

Fig. 184

But first you must know a little something about the pistil, if I am really to make clear to you how the flower dust helps the flower to change into fruit.