THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



51 



or spur that bears nectar at the farther end. In the helle- 

 bore the petals are short, tubular and two lipped. In the 

 Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra), of the fumitory family, the 

 two petals are large and sac-shaped (fig. 14. h). 



APPENDAGES TO THE PETALS. 



As we have seen, many, perhaps all, the transformed 

 petals are concerned in secreting nectar. Of the same na- 

 ture, also, are many of the appendages possessed by pet- 

 als, such as the scale on the claw of the buttercup petal 

 (fig. 15 b) and the appendages in the corolla of the water 

 leaf {Hydrophyllum). Other appendages, however, are 

 manifestly for different purposes. The scales in the throat 

 of the corolla of certain borrage- worts, notablv comfrey 

 {Symphytum), forget-me-not {Myosotis) and' hound's- 



tong\xt{Cynoglossum) 

 are certainly for keep- 

 ing small insects away 

 }from the nectar and 

 pollen, and the folded 

 appendages between 

 the petals of certain 

 Fig. 15. a Crown on petal of pink, b gentians are doubtless 

 scale on petal of buttercup, c one of the for the same purpose. 

 Jive lobes with its horn from the milkweed Other appendages of 



^^"^^'"' like nature maybe seen 



in the outgrowths from the petals of many catch-flys {Si- 

 lene) at the juncture of claw and blade, (fig. 15 a) and in 

 the narcissus where it forms a deep or shallow cup. To 

 such structures the name oi crown is given. In the milk- 

 weed family {Asclepias) the crown (fig. 15 c) is usually * 

 the most noticable part of the flower, the petals and se- 

 pals being more plainly colored and reflexed. Instead of 

 a crown or scales in the throat of the corolla many plants 

 bear tufts of hair or wool. It is a singular indication of 

 the use of such outgrowths to find that when the flowers 

 are upright and likely to be visited by insects from any 

 direction, all the petals bear this tuft of hairs; but in 

 species with flowers facing sidewise, only the lower petals 



