loo SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



stamens become confluent, so that they resemble four 

 short fingers of a glove with the tips cut off (4, a ; 

 5, h). The ovary is supported by a little stalk, or 

 gynophore, and is two-celled (8). Each cell contains a 

 pendulous ovule (8). 



An insect on inserting its proboscis to the base of 

 the flower for honey passes it over the sticky knob-like 

 stigma ; and on withdrawing it carries away the pollen 

 which has dropped into the spoon-like apex of the 

 style. Then it transfers it to the next flower visited 

 in the same way. 



After fertilization the two large violet or purple 

 sepals, as stated, turn green, and enclose the pistil. 

 The capsule dehisces at the top (9, a, h). The seeds 

 have an excrescence, or caruncle (10, a). (11) is a 

 vertical section of a seed, showing the embryo, with 

 large cotyledons (h) lying in endosperm. 



Mund'tia spino'sa. — In this genus the spoon-like 

 process of Polyg'ala is reduced to a little point. The 

 fruit differs in being fleshy. The flower of this common 

 spiny plant is apparently self-fertilizing. 



Mural'tia. — This endemic^ genus has some fifty 

 species, and is remarkable for its five sepals, being 

 almost equal in size, and its capsule has four little 

 horns upon the top. The front petal is purple and 

 the upper ones white. There is a peculiar irritability 

 in the stamens ; for it will be found, on inserting a 



^ I.e. peculiar to the country. 



