272 The Romance of Wild Flowers . 
parts of Ireland (its entire distribution being limited 
to Southern France, Spain, and the Mediterranean 
region), though it may be seen growing in many 
woods and parks where it has been planted for 
ornamental purposes. It is an evergreen, and bears 
its creamy flowers in drooping clusters. There is a 
remarkable feature of the stamens to which attention 
should be called. These are somewhat similar to 
those of Bilberry, with a couple of horns at the back, 
but the pores of the anthers are at their base instead 
of being prolonged into terminal tubes. Between the 
two anthers there is a projecting tip—a continuation 
of the filament—and before the flower opens, all the 
ten stamens are glued to the style by means of these 
tips. But before the pollen is ripe for dispersal, the 
attachment of these tips is broken, and the anthers 
are doubled over on the filament, so that their former 
base becomes pressed against the style. An insect 
visiting the flower first touches its head against the 
stigma, and if it brings any pollen with it from 
another Arbutus flower, will certainly fertilise this 
one ; then its tongue reaching to the honey-glands at 
the base of the flower is sure to strike against some 
of the twenty anther-horns that radiate from the 
centre, and so shake the anthers that pollen will pour 
out of the openings upon the insect’s face. 
It is worthy of notice that Arbutus and all other 
genera of the Heathwort family have the ovary 
contained within the corolla instead of below it, as in 
Vaccinium. That of Arbutus develops into a large 
succulent fruit, of orange-scarlet colour, and in form 
much like a round strawberry, and covered with little 
points. It has not the fine flavour of the strawberry, 
