70 



Fl.OWERS OF THE HEATHS AND MOORS 



The plant is seldom 6 in. higli, and is usually hidden away in the 

 grass. It is in llower in May and June. The Milkwort is perennial, 

 and can be propagated by division. 



The llower has 5 se[)als, the inner two petaloid, three small, linear, 

 and the 2 ake large and coloured, making the tlower conspicuous. 

 The corolla is tubular, the petals combined below with the staminal 

 sheath, the median forming a hood, and inside are digitate processes 



Milkwort (Polygala z'it/^,i>:s, L.) 



on which an insect visitor is supported. The short stamens are attached 

 to the tube in two groups, and bear hairs directed downwards. The 

 pistil is in the middle, and bears a spoon-shaped stigma with a clammy 

 stigmatic lobe bent downwards, which touches the proboscis when 

 inserted and covers it with pollen. The short anthers lie in the con- 

 cavity of the corolla just over the stigmatic lobe, shed pollen upon it, 

 and withdraw to the side. The insect clings to the digitate processes. 

 The visitors are Hymenoptera (Apidae), Lepidoptera, Polyommatiis. 

 Behind the hollows is a clammy disk which is thus touched by an 

 insect searching for honey, and, being thus sticky, when the proboscis 

 is wlthtlrawn it carries away pollen to another tlower, and there this 



