20 ERYTHEA. 



is long continued. Not until dehiscence is neurly ended does the 

 style lengthen. It, too, lies against the upper side, but by the curv- 

 ing of its tip the stigma is brought down to guard the entrance to 

 the flower, not, however, in such a position as to receive pollen fall- 

 ing from the anthers. P. Palmeri is in flower, often in dense masses, 

 from June to August. It is fragrant and very attractive; in color 

 it varies from pale lavender to blue with prominent honey guides, 

 and guests are very numerous. There is a constriction in the tube 

 where the four filaments meet about two lines above the base, and 

 the sterile filament crosses just above the constriction. The throat 

 and limb are wide enough to admit the largest l)ees. The anthers 

 lie against the upper wall and present a large pollen-covered area 

 through their widely opened cells. The heavy beard on the sterile 

 filament lying against the lower wall tends to make insects keep to 

 the upper part of the flower; still there is one frequent guest, O^mia, 

 deusa, Cress., that seems to succeed in getting honey without strik- 

 ing the anthers. Hive bees and Anthoplioras usually strike the 

 anthers, particularly when tliey turn around in the flower on leav- 

 ing. A common and most useful guest is a great Xyllocopa. The 

 bees are even less likely to miss the stigma; and as it is lower than 

 the anthers it will usually be struck first. P. barbatus, var. labro^sus 

 was abundant about my cabin, and any time from early dawn till 

 dark I was likely to hear the whir of the wings of its humming-bird 

 guests. The flowers are types for this kind of pollination. They 

 'are vivid scarlet, are nearly two inches long and tubular. The 

 anthers are exserted beyond the tube, but are sheltered by the upper 

 lip; by being pendent the}^ tlioroughly guard entrance to the honey, 

 as does the stigma in the older flowers. The stigma is sufliciently 

 beyond the anthers to avoid self-pollination. The anthers are small 

 and almost woody. They discharge pollen slowly through their 

 narrow slits; still, hive bees and Anthoplioras sometimes consider it 

 worth while to collect pollen from them. They are of course only 

 useful to those flowers that have stigmas mature before the pollen is 

 quite gone. At Wilson's Peak I had found these Pentstemons 

 punctured by some marauders after honey. P. BridgeMi is another 

 successful plant in this region. A neighboring hillside was scarlet 

 with these flowers in August, and one could always be sure of find- 



