Читать книгу Wayside and Woodland Blossoms - Step Edward - Страница 11

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The Broom is sadly liable to be confounded with the Furze by the non-botanical rambler, chiefly, we believe, because of the similarity of the flowers and the partiality of both for heaths and commons. There are, however, several points of difference between them; but one is sufficient for a rough-and-ready distinction. The Furze began life with a few leaves similar to those of the Broom, but as it grew it put forth sharp spines instead of ordinary leaves, until it became more difficult to handle than any hedgehog. The Broom rarely puts on any prickles at all, and its compound leaves, of three small leaflets, may be seen as in the illustration, close to the pliant stems.

Broom. Cytisus scoparius. —Leguminosæ.—

Fumitory. Fumaria officinalis. —Fumariaceæ.—

The flowers, too, are larger than those of the Furze, though similar in structure. The calyx is two-lipped, the petals five, unequal in size and shape. The very large upper petal erects itself somewhat, and is known as the “standard.” The two lateral ones are called “wings,” and the lower pair are united all along their lower edges, to form a boat-shaped body, called the “keel.” In this keel lie the stamens and pistil, which are curved, and the former have the filaments united into a tube within which lies the ovary. The stamens also vary in length, and should a bee alight on a newly-opened blossom in quest of pollen—for the Broom produces no honey—the pressure of the “wings” upon the “keel” forces out the shorter stamens, and they dust the bee’s abdomen with pollen. Should, however, the insect visit a flower lower down the stem and consequently a day or two older, the long stamens and the pistil spring out with some force, and the hairs on the pistil brush out the shed-pollen from the “keel” and sprinkle it on the bee’s back. Then the pistil curls so that the stigmatic surface shall come in contact with the abdomen of the next bee that arrives, probably with pollen from another flower. Thus fertilized the ovary develops into a valved pod like that of the garden pea, but smaller, of course, and black. When ripe the valves separate, twist up and scatter the seeds. Press down the wings with the finger in the position a bee would occupy, and observe the action of this remarkable mechanism, which, with variations, is common to all Leguminous plants (see pages 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 52, 73, 94, 101, 132). The Broom flowers from April to June, and is widely distributed throughout the kingdom.