lO 



FLOWERS OF THE HILLS AND DRY PLACES 



loose racemes, with bracts or k-;iflik(t organs. The sepals are smootli. 

 the inner ones l)lunt, ending in ;i j)()int, and three-nerved. The style 

 is longer than tin- ovary, and bent at the Ijase, equalling the stamens, 

 which when touched will spring back and lie upon the petals. The 

 stigma ends in a knol). The seeds are numerous, and the capsule, 

 which opens by three valves, is enclosed by the longer caly.x. 



The plant is never 

 ^^^^^^^^^•"#4^ ^'■''TJ^SBBI "lore than 6 in. high 



and prostrate. The 

 llowers last from May 

 to September. The 

 Rock Rose is a peren- 

 nial, cxergreen, trail- 

 ing plant, increased by 

 inc-ans ot cuttings. 



There is no honey 

 but abundant pollen. 

 The stamens are nu- 

 merous (150). The 

 pistil projects above 

 them, and in.sects 

 alighting on the llower 

 touch the pistil before 

 the stamens and cross- 

 pollinate the plant with 

 [lollen from a previ- 

 ously \'isiled flower. 

 .Self-pollination lakes 

 place it no insects 

 visit it. There are 3 

 sepals and 5 petals 

 which open in the sun. 

 The anthers and capitate stigma mature together, the latter being a 

 little taller. The anthers are at first close, but move outwards, and dust 

 the insect which touches them with pollen, thus e.xhibiting irritability. 

 The flower is best visited by the first insects from the corolla and liy 

 late-comers from the centre. The insect covered with j)ollen on a 

 previous flower alights in the centre in the second and cross-pollinates 

 it. Independently of insects' visits it is self-pollinated in closed and 

 nodding flowers. There is abundant pollen sought by Diptera (Syr- 

 phidie), Hymenoptera (Apidae), Coleoptera (Cerambycicte). 



Rock Rose (Helianthemum Chamcecistus, Mill.) 



