1 82 FLOWERS OF THE ROADSIDES AND HEDGES 



inch across, and in small clusters, the female being half the size or 

 much smaller, and it is a dioecious plant. 



Both male and female flowers contain honey, which is concealed. 

 The lower part of the calyx is adherent to the corolla or hemispherical 

 cup - shaped disk, which secretes the honey. In the male flowers 

 5 stamens arise on the edge of the expanded cup and incline towards 

 the centre, and cover over the cup. Four of the anthers unite 

 to form 2 pairs, and the fifth is free on both sides. The honey- 

 cup has 3 narrow lateral entrances, each placed between 2 stamens 

 fringed with long hairs, with a central entrance also above in the 

 middle of the upper end of the stamens. The anthers form narrow 

 ridges on the broad stamens, and the long narrow slits by which they 

 open are bent, so that the greater part of each faces one of the lateral 

 openings, while the upper one faces upwards. A honey-seeker, alight- 

 ing in the centre, may thrust its proboscis amongst the stamens, or 

 reach the honey by the lateral entrances, and in the former case would 

 be dusted on the lower surface, in the latter on the upper surface. 



The pollen is sticky. The stamens touch the head or the ventral 

 surface of the insect before the stigma does. In female flowers the 

 pistil rises up in the centre and splits into 3 branches, club-shaped 

 with papillae. The visitors are Andrena, Halictus, Ccelioxys, Apis, 

 Gorytes, Ammophila, Eumencs, Odymerus, Dasytes^ Pieris. Andrena 

 florea visits White Bryony only. 



The berry contains numerous flat but swollen seeds, which are 

 dispersed by birds. 



This is a humus-loving plant, living in a humus soil. 



The beetle Lygria hirta, the Hymenoptera Andrena florea, 

 A. denticulata, A. dorsata, the moths Phytheochroa rugosana, Catoptria 

 fulvana, a fly Gongylomena iviedermani, feed upon it. 



Bryonia, Dioscorides, is the Greek name of the plant, and the 

 second Latin name alludes to its dioecious nature. 



Bryony is called Bryon, Red or White Bryony, Cowbincl, Gow's 

 Lick, Cucurd, Elphamy, F^ellon-berry, Grapewort, Hedge Grape, 

 Wild Hep, Poison Berry, Snake Berry, Tetter Berry, White, Wild, 

 Wood Vine. It was called Tetter Berry, and it was believed the berries 

 " are good against all fretting and running cankers, gangraenes and 

 tetters, and therefore the berries are usually called of the country 

 people Tetter Berries ", according to old Parkinson. 



1 It lias been suggested that the small flowers, which are inconspicuous but highly attractive, have 

 a peculiar odour perceived by them, or possess an attraction not visible to man, that they emit ultra- 

 violet rays. They act energetically on photographic plates. 



