12 FLOWERS OF THE WOODS AND COPSES 



The petals are usually imperfect, and the honey-gland has no scale. 

 The sepals are constantly as yellow as the petals. The carpels, seated 

 on raised points of the receptacle, are downy. Unlike some other 

 Crowfoots the root is fibrous. 



The stem is i ft. to 15 in. in height. Goldielocks flowers from 

 April to May, before the trees are in bud or leaf. The plant is 

 perennial, deciduous, and herbaceous. 



The nectary assumes a great variety of forms. The corolla is 

 seldom regular, and some petals are usually wanting or functionless, 



GOLDIELOCKS (Ranunculus auricomns, L.) 



some or all being stunted, while the sepals have a bright yellow flat 

 portion, and partly or wholly take the place of petals. The sepals may 

 be fringed. The honey-glands are at the base of the modified petals. 

 Some petals are reduced to honey -secreting cavities, as in Winter 

 Aconite, and all sorts of transitions to this stage may be found. 



In the more perfect petals the underside of the triangular base of 

 the petal has a thickened border each side, which fuses below and 

 forms a pit for the honey where they meet. In the more perfect petals, 

 too, honey is secreted by two small pits, to the right and left, on the 

 broader thickened margin. In very stunted petals on the inner side of 

 the base of the two laminae or blades two honey canals, separated by a 

 fold, are deeply sunk. There are two types of pollen. In some 

 intermediate forms no honey is secreted. Hymenoptera (Apidse, 

 Formicidse), Diptera (Syrphidse, Muscidse), Thysanoptera (Tkrips) 

 visit it. 



