APETALi© 209 



cylindrical, with a cluster of flowers below. They 

 are red or green, not dotted. The flower-stalks are 

 smooth. The perianth has no glands, and is obscurely 

 veined. The segments are red or white, as long as 

 the fruit. The outer anthers open inwards, the 

 inner outwards. There are six stamens as a rule, 

 and two styles united half-way. The fruit is a nut, 

 flattened, gibbous one side, plano-convex, or three- 

 angled, the faces round, and long-pointed, smooth. 



Spotted Persicaria is 1-2 ft. in height, flowering 

 from June to October, and is a herbaceous annual. 



The flowers are fairly conspicuous, with a coloured 

 perianth, and form a large spike, 20-30 mm. long. 

 The amount of honey secreted is small. When there 

 are eight stamens three are functionless. 



The five fertile stamens alternate with the perianth- 

 segments, and the others are opposite the segments. 

 There is a honey-gland below each segment, with 

 honey in an adhesive layer. The style has two 

 branches with a stigmatic knob in each case. The 

 anthers and stigma, which ripen simultaneously, are 

 of the same height. The flower forms a cup w^hen 

 open and the five outer stamens spread out and do 

 not touch the stigmas, the three others coming in 

 contact with the stigmas. The former opens inwards 

 the three others outwards. Self-pollination occurs 

 in flowers with more than the five functional stamens. 

 The anthers open widely being covered with pollen. 

 If insects do not visit the flowers self-pollination is 

 thus possible and seed is set. The flowers are open 



VOL. III. 14 



