Lilies and Onions 331 
which is always handy in the hive, and in the collect- 
ing of it she must frequently effect cross-fertilisation. 
Red berries succeed the fertilised flowers. 
In Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) 
there is a distinct leafy stem, two or three feet in 
height, arching over with the leaves arranged in two 
rows, and the flowers hanging by slender foot-stalks 
from the axils of the leaves. The pollen of Lily of 
the Valley is protected by the drooping of the bell- 
shaped flower; here the greenish-white tubular bells 
have similar protection afforded by a like habit with 
the additional security furnished by the leaves above 
them. The mouth of the flower is dilated to enable 
humble-bees to put their heads inside whilst they are 
reaching for the honey on the floor (or is it roof ?) of 
the flower. The stamens are attached to the tube 
about half-way up, and the bee has to push his 
tongue between the stigma and the anthers in order 
to reach the honey. Whilst one side of his head is 
coming in contact with the stigma, the other side is 
taking up a new supply of pollen. It is, of course, 
a matter of chance whether the right or the left side 
of the style will be selected by the bee, but in a 
number of visits both sides are sure to be covered 
with pollen early, and afterwards each visit would 
result in cross-fertilisation. 
The Onion tribe is fairly well represented in our 
flora, the only common species being the Ramsons, or 
Broad-leaved Garlic (Alliwm ursinuwm), whose leaves 
are often mistaken for those of the Lily of the Valley 
until they happen to get trodden upon or otherwise 
bruised, when the veriest tyro in matters botanical 
knows they have close affinity with the pungent 
