SOME FLORAL ADVERTISEMENTS 



row to the sunny meadow where the large humble-' 

 bees are seeking nectar. 



There the tall stems stand, their purple bells 

 contrasted against the deep green of the dark 

 woodland; the bank, or the hedgerow— a huge and 

 striking advertisement. 



Just as the business man seeks the site that 

 best exhibits the posters advertising the merits of 

 his wares to his clients, so do plants offer every 

 temptation and inducement to their customers. 

 Competition in the plant world is every bit as 

 keen as it is in the trade warfare of man. 



The foxglove has adapted each of its flowers to 

 fit the body of a burly humble-bee. Each flower 

 is suspended mouth downwards and turned to the 

 sunlight to receive its (paying) guest. The four 

 stamens are perfectly arranged in the upper part 

 of the bell to dust the hairy back of the bee while 

 it seeks the nectar. Only the body of a humble- 

 bee is large enough to brush against the stamens 

 in the younger flowers and the stigma in the older 

 ones, and thus effect cross-fertilisation. Hence, the 

 down-turned tube of each flower is perfectly 

 adapted for the alighting and reception of these 

 large bees ; while to other insects which en- 

 deavour to reach the honey the tube presents 

 enormous difficulties. It is obvious then that the 

 bold show of foxgloves that skirt the wood and 

 the hedgerow side, is simply a huge advertise- 

 ment designed exclusively for humble-bees. 



Such specialised floral advertisements are very 

 common ; while the foxglove advertises for 



187 



