156 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



always self-pollinated. In both these flowers the stamens are 

 mounted on the top of a tube as above described ; and in both the 

 stamens are crowded round the numerous styles while the flower 

 is yet young, so that insects which visit the flower for nectar can 

 hardly fail to dust themselves with pollen. In M. sylvestris, how- 

 ever, the stamens are mature before the stigmas, and the former 

 droop, thus bringing the anthers below the level of the stigmas, so 



that the flower 

 could hardly fer- 

 tilise itself even 

 if anthers and 

 stigmas matured 

 simultaneously. 

 But later the 

 styles bend down- 

 wards, thus bring- 

 ing the stigmas 

 to the position of 

 the withered sta- 

 mens in order to 

 catch the pollen 

 brought by in- 

 sects from other 

 flowers. Further, 

 the pollen cells of 

 this species are 

 covered with 

 minute hooks by 

 means of which 

 they attach them- 

 selves to the hairy 

 legs of bees. 



The anthers and stigmas of M. rotundifolia are both matm-ed 

 together ; and the styles lengthen, and bend downwards, causing 

 the stigmas to twine themselves among the numerous stamens in 

 such a manner that the flower can hardly fail to fertilise itself. 

 Further, if we watch the flowers of these two species on a sunny day, 

 we find that insects visit the flowers of M. sylvestris freely, while 

 they are seldom attracted to the smaller and less conspicuous blooms 

 of M. rotundifolia. 



The third species referred to is the Musk Mallow {M. moschata). 



The red CA^rnoN. 



