GAMOPETAL.E 103 



tube is long, 15-16 mm. in length, and only insects 

 with a proboscis of 11 mm. can reach the honey. 

 The honey is protected from rain and creeping insects 

 by the hairs at the narrowed mouth of the tube. 

 The bent stamens are situated on the corolla half- 

 way up the tube, and the hairy anthers bend over the 

 stigma. The conical stigma is dilated above, forming 

 a flat plate with sticky margins, and is hairy above 

 and between this border. On this central portion 

 the anthers shed pollen, but it does not reach the 

 plate below. Insects, however, inserting their pro- 

 boscis between the style and anthers detach the 

 pollen-masses in withdrawing, and bear pollen away 

 to a fresh flower. The chief visitors are bees. 



The seeds, when produced, are blown by the wind 

 out of the follicle, which opens above. 



The greater Periwinkle is also called Band-plant, 

 Blue-bell, Blue Buttons, Cockle, Cut-finger, Dicky- 

 Dilver, Periwinkle, Pervenke. 



ViNCA MAJOR. — In Fig. 24 are shown the creeping, 

 trailing stem, with opposite^ stalked leaves, ovate and 

 heart-shaped below. The flowers on erect stalks have 

 an angular mouth, 



49. The Gentian Group (Summary). 



(Introductory Volume^ p. 164.) 

 Of the Order Gentianaceas there are about seven 

 hundred and fifty species, which are included in sixty- 

 four genera. The group includes plants of very 

 different growth-habit, and characteristic of diverse 



