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IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Honey Bee, that "unfortunately its corollas are usually too deep for the 

 tongue of our bees. Yet sometimes in summer, they can reach the 

 nectar, either because its corollas are shortened on account of dryness 

 or because they are more copiously filled." Some years ago, I made this 

 statement in my Ecology, that honey bees frequently pollinated red 

 clover because they frequently collect pollen. The tongue is not long 

 enough to reach the Oectar. In some cases the nectar is taken through 

 perforations. 



A few years ago I had a large number of measurements made of the 

 length of the staminal tube. Miss Mildred Walls found by measurement, 



Fig. 9. 



Phacelia (Phacelia serica). 

 Mountains. 



This plant is visited by bees. In the Rocky 



that out of 493 flowers, the mean length was .3513 in. and that the 

 length of the tube varied between .3082 in. to .4018 in. The flower be- 

 cause of the pleasant odor and large amount of nectar are attractive to 

 insects. The nectar is concealed in the base of the staminal tube, which is 

 formed by the fusion of the nine lower filaments and attached to the 

 claws of the petals. The upper free stamen lies on one side so that the 

 opening of the staminal tube permits the Insect to get the nectar. In 

 order to reach the nectar, the honey bee must have a tongue from .3543 

 to .3937 inches in length to get the nectar. 



I have for several years closely observed honey bees and red clover, 

 and from these observations I am still inclined to the opinion, earlier 

 expressed, that honey bees do not get nectar from the flowers of the 



