TOUCH-ME-NOT.Thetouch-me-not, or snap-weed, is a delicate little plant that grows in wet places. Its yellow flowers are airily poised on slender stems, and the seed pods are very curious.If one of them is touched, it goes off with a suddenness that is startling, until one gets used to it.A pod thathas snapped.When the pods are ripe they shoot the seeds out in all directions, and if you disturb a tangle of touch-me-nots in late summer you can hear the seeds popping on all sides.There is a violet that shoots the seeds out of its pod, and the wild geranium pod slings its seeds to some distance by suddenly curling up on its long stalk.A good many seed pods have this interesting habit, but I doubt if you would discover that some peas and beans do this unless you were told.The lupine, which belongs to the Pea family, shoots off its seeds by twisting the dry pod, as it opens to let them out. Even our garden sweet peas and some of our garden beans do this. Watch to see if you can catch them at it.Plants have many, many ways of sending their precious seed children out in the world to find a growing place.There is no better way to spend our spare time than to watch the ripe fruits of plants and find out how the seeds are dispersed. Nearly all plants have some methods of sending their seeds abroad.You will enjoy the plants more than ever when you begin to discover for yourself some of the things they do.Lupine.
Thetouch-me-not, or snap-weed, is a delicate little plant that grows in wet places. Its yellow flowers are airily poised on slender stems, and the seed pods are very curious.
If one of them is touched, it goes off with a suddenness that is startling, until one gets used to it.
A pod thathas snapped.
A pod thathas snapped.
When the pods are ripe they shoot the seeds out in all directions, and if you disturb a tangle of touch-me-nots in late summer you can hear the seeds popping on all sides.
There is a violet that shoots the seeds out of its pod, and the wild geranium pod slings its seeds to some distance by suddenly curling up on its long stalk.
A good many seed pods have this interesting habit, but I doubt if you would discover that some peas and beans do this unless you were told.
The lupine, which belongs to the Pea family, shoots off its seeds by twisting the dry pod, as it opens to let them out. Even our garden sweet peas and some of our garden beans do this. Watch to see if you can catch them at it.
Plants have many, many ways of sending their precious seed children out in the world to find a growing place.
There is no better way to spend our spare time than to watch the ripe fruits of plants and find out how the seeds are dispersed. Nearly all plants have some methods of sending their seeds abroad.
You will enjoy the plants more than ever when you begin to discover for yourself some of the things they do.
Lupine.
Lupine.
Transcriber’s NoteThe few inconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained.
The few inconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained.