THALAMIFLOR.E 117 



have found it also by the wayside and about railway- 

 sidings. 



The habit is erect or ascending. The stem is 

 branched, ribbed, covered with papillae, but smooth. 

 The leaves are twice or thrice deeply divided to the 

 base, or pinnate, and are variable, the segments being 

 also divided, blunt and oblong or linear, few^ and 

 distant, wuth a wavy border. 



The flowers form a dense conical raceme, and are 

 pale yellow. There are six or rarely five linear 

 sepals, which are unequal, the upper being smaller. 

 The upper petals have a two-lobed claw% and a limb 

 divided into three nearly to the base, the lower entire 

 or two-cleft. The two upper petals have two wing- 

 like lobes, and the lateral petals have but one wing. 

 The flower-stalk is longer than the calyx. There are 

 many stamens and three stigmas. The capsule is 

 oblong, with three to four very short teeth, wrinkled. 

 The seeds are inversely ovoid, and black. 



From June to August is the period of flowering. 

 The plant is a herbaceous biennial. It is from i to 

 2 ft. in height. 



The flow^ers are yellowish, with many stamens and 

 much pollen, and honey is secreted in a cup-like 

 hollow in the disc which is protected by the three 

 upper petals, of which the central is narrow and club- 

 shaped, forming a lid which closes the honey-glands 

 in a sort of box, and insects must open the lid to get 

 at the honey — a feat which is performed by a bee 

 with a flat trowel-shaped proboscis, used by it in 



