170 BRITISH PLANTS 
Flowers are visited by any honey-seeking insect capable 
of extracting the honey. Some of the smaller flowers 
secrete a great deal of honey, but as it is more or less 
freely exposed, a large number of insects are able to 
reach it. Some of the Umbelliferee and Composite, for 
instance, with only slightly-concealed honey, are visited 
by an enormous number of insects—e.g., dandelion and 
Senecio Jacobea. The hogweed (Heracleum Sphondylium) 
is said to be visited by 118 different insects—possibly a 
record among British plants. Scabious and Jasione mon- 
tana are also plants visited by a host of insects. In some 
cases insect-pollination is so certain that the power of 
Fic. 69.—Preran or Burrer- Fic. 70.—Fennet: LonoGirupinan 
CUP WITH NECTARY (a) AT SECTION OF FLOWER. 
Base. a,nectary ; b, inferior ovary ; c, stigma; 
d, stamen ; e, petal. 
self-fertilization is said to have been lost. With the 
increase in size and complexity of the flower, and the 
more effective concealment of the honey, the smaller 
insects with short tongues are excluded, and in extreme 
cases the honey is so deep or so difficult to get at that 
only the strongest or longest-tongued bees and Lepidop- 
tera (butterflies and moths) can effect its extraction. 
Lepidopterous flowers have usually long, narrow corolla- 
tubes or spurs—e.g., toadflax and red valerian. The 
honeysuckle opens between seven and eight in the even- 
ing, when it becomes strongly scented. The tube is 
more than an inch long, and can only be explored by the 
very longest-tongued moths—e.g., hawk-moth. There is 
