152 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



that humble bees can enter. The anthers and stigma 

 are arranged on the upper side of the corolla, and the 

 former ripen first. There are two long and two short 

 stamens, in pairs, longer than the stigma at first. 

 There is an equal chance of cross- and self-pollin- 

 ation, for if all the pollen has not fallen when the 

 stigma is mature, some may fall on the stigma, 

 otherwise insects normally cross-pollinate the flower. 



The seeds are dispersed by the wind. 



There are a great many vernacular names for this 

 plant, of which Britten and Holland give a large 

 number, such as Dead Man's Bell, Blob, Bloody 

 Finger, Cottagers, Cowflop, Dead Men's Bellows, 

 Flap Dock, Dragon's Mouth, Fairies' Petticoats, Fairy 

 Bells, Fairy Cap, Fairy Glove, Fairy Thimbles, Fairy 

 Weed, Finger-flower, Finger-root, Flop-a-Dock, Flop 

 Poppy, Flowster-docken, Fox-fingers, Foxtree, Goose 

 Flops, Lady Glove, Lady's Thimble, Lusmore, 

 Pop-glove, Snoxuns, Throatwort, etc. 



The plant yields a narcotic drug, and is included 

 in the Materia medica. It is highly poisonous. 



Digitalis purpurea. — ht Fig. 43 note the long, 

 tall raceme, one-sided, with pendulous, bell-like flowers, 

 well-protected from the rain. 



Germander Speedv^ell {Veronica Chamcedrys). 



The Bird's Eye of the countryman, there is no 

 more charming wild flower than this in early spring, 

 its clear blue flowers matching well the colour of the 

 April skies ; and, seen as it may be peeping out of 



