Wild-Flower Study 



497 



Hepatic as. 



center of the plant. These buds, perfected in the autumn, are ready to 

 stretch up and blossom when the first warmth of spring shall reach them. 

 The stems and the bracts of the flower are soft and downy, and are much 

 more furry than those which appear later; while this down is not for the 

 purpose of keeping the plant at a higher temperature, yet it acts as a 

 blanket to prevent too rapid transpiration, which is a cooling process, and 

 thus it does, as a matter of fact, keep the flower warmer. As the stems 

 lift up, the buds are bent, which position protects them from the beating 

 storms. The hepatica flowers are white, pink and lavender. The latter 

 are sometimes called "blue." The so-called "petals" number from six to 

 twelve; there are usually six. The three outer ones are sepals and are 

 exactly like the three inner ones, the petals, but may be distinguished by 

 their outside position in the half-opened flower. The three green bracts 

 which encase the flower bud, and later remain with the seed, are placed on 

 the stem quite distinctly below the flower. On dark days and during the 

 nights, the young blossoms close; but when they become old and faded, 

 they remain open all the time. Thus, the flowers are closed except when 

 bees are likely to visit them; but after they have shed their pollen, they 

 do not need to remain closed any longer. Not all hepatica blossoms are 

 fragrant; and those that are so, lose their fragrance as their colors begin 

 to fade to white. If a snow-storm comes, the hepatica blossoms close and 

 bow their heads. 



There are many stamens with greenish white anthers and pollen. 

 They stand erect around the many pistils at the center of the flower. 

 The number of pistils varies from six to twenty-four. Each pistil holds 

 aloft the little horseshoe-shaped, whitish stigma and, if pollenated, 



