MARRIAGE CUSTOMS OF PLANTS 
the pole, these would-be feasters readily pass 
the guardian hairs just above the stamens, pass 
the stamens themselves and unintentionally fer- 
tilize the pistils with pollen they have picked up 
on other marauding expeditions. Having par- 
taken of honey, the Flies seek to escape, but 
now find the way barred by the down-pointing 
hairs which have bristled up in a militant man- 
ner. The insects must stay until the plant de- 
cides to release them, which is never until the 
stamens have ripened and showered them with 
a fresh supply of pollen. 
The Orchids are among the most beautiful 
and extraordinary flowers in the world. Their 
noteworthy development has come about 
through their efforts to secure abundant and 
efficient insect fertilization. So certain are 
their methods that they ordinarily do not re- 
quire the services of more than one stamen. 
In one variety, the English Spotted Orchid, 
the pollen is enclosed in two sacks or bags pro- 
vided with long stems. These sacs are lodged 
in special cavities near the pistil in such a man- 
ner that the sticky ends of the stems come in con- 
tact with the head of a nectar-sucking Bee. 
[89] 
