Flowers wilt when they do not get sufficient water. Yet the matter is not quite as simple as this, says an expert writing in the "New York Times" For flowers placed in a bowl of fresh water will, after a short time, fade and die. It happens, then, that water cannot always be taken up by the plant, though there may be plenty of it.
The theory of the ascent of sap (cohesion theory), now accepted as very nearly approaching truth, holds that a continuous water stream must be present in the stem of the plant it water is to be taken up. If the Hower is cut in the garden, or bought on the market and carried home, the stem is exposed and air enters. At the same time the flower loses water by transpiration, the end of the stem starts to dry out.
The flowers start to wilt when they at last arrive home and are placed in water. If there is no continuous water stream the gladioli, "snaps" or dahlias will have a hard time trying to re-establish it, because they cannot take up water and replace it where needed until there is a continuous water column, Cutting the Stem Many people observe a wise practice without ever knowing why. They cut off a small portion of the flower stem before placing their selections in a vase. This removes the part of the stem that contains air rather than water, and so gives the flowers a better chance for recovery. But there is an even better method. The stems are cut under water and placed in a vase directly, without exposing them to the air. thus insuring a continuous water stream. It takes little trouble to do this, and the result is remarkable. In no time the melancholic droopy-head flowers turn once again erect.
Water makes the plant stand upright, it makes the cells turgid and bulging. To keep up the water supply, to replace any water lost, is important, but only half the story. In all living tissues, as in the flower, there are always cells dying and new The purpose of a flower is to bear the reproductive organs of the plant, clothed in a pretty gown of floral leaves or petals to attract the attention of insect admirers. These aid in the difficult and all-important business of pollination. The flowers appear in nature as a means of reproduction, not just to please the onlooker.
"When the flower has gained its objective, when the pistil has received suitable pollen, when the ovule has been fertilized, there is no longer the need for display of beauty. The petals, usually the most attractive part, wilt and fall.
Flowers that are valued for their long time of blossoming are usually those that consist of a collection of flowers. The snapdragon has a spike with many flowers on one stem. The lowest ones open first, and the top still goes on growing; one Hower opens after another, even when cut. All the many flowers in the daisy family have a flower head, that is, a collection of many small flowers in one. The flowers are arranged in circles and the outer rings open first, the inner ones, later.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.