322 The Romance of Wild Flowers 
plant can rapidly convert its store of starch into 
cellulose, and produce both leaves and _ flowers 
independently even of sunlight. Give them water at 
their base and surround them with an atmosphere 
containing oxygen, and they can produce flowers in 
the dark. Of course, the leaves would have to have 
opportunity for working in sunlight after that, or 
the bulb would be useless for another year. 
There is one more little group of the Amaryllids 
represented in this country by the Snowflakes. One 
of these, the Spring Snowflake (Leucojywm vernuinr), 
is found in Dorsetshire only. It is similar to the 
Snowdrop, but its leaves are longer and more numer- 
ous, its taller scape usually supporting two flowers, 
the sepals and petals more nearly equal in size, and 
the sepals having green tips. Another species, the 
Summer Snowflake (L. wstivum), has from two to 
six flowers, which are produced about May, though 
its leaves make their appearance during winter. 
Its flower-buds are erect, but as they open they 
droop in order to protect the honey and pollen; and 
when the flower has passed, and the seed-capsules 
begin to develop, the scape falls prostrate, to take 
greater care of them. 
