OCR Text |
Show The Smallest Flowering; Plant, The smallest flowering plant is Wolffia microscopia, a native of India. It belongs to the duckweed family. It is almost microscopic in size, destitute of proper stem, leaves and roots, but having these organs merged in ono, forming a frond. There is a prolongation of the lower surface, sur-face, t he purpose of which seems to be to enable the plant to float upright in the water. The fronds multiply by sending out other fronds from a slit or concavity, and with such rapidity does this take place that a few days often suffice to produce from a few individuals enough similar Ones to cover many square rods of pond surface with the minute green granules. Small as these plants are they bear flowers. flow-ers. Two are produced on a plant, each of thorn very simple, one of a single stamen sta-men and the other of a single pistil, both f which burst through the upper surface of the frond. London Tit-Bits. |