LORDS AND LADIES 237 



pollen to be brought from other flowers for cross-pollination to take 

 place. The plant's own pollen drops to the bottom of the tube, useless, 

 unless carried away. 



This mode of crossing is effected by flies, which creep down the 

 wide, conspicuous spathe, the plant attracting, by its ammonia-like 

 smell, small Diptera (Psyckoda) into the lower part This forms a 

 prison for the time being. When they reach the metamorphosed 

 stamens or hairs, which point downwards (and at first act as a chevaux 

 de frise around the lower part of the spadix), they are effectually 

 prevented afterwards, did they so wish, to do so at once, or until a 

 certain time, from returning, though entrance is easy. 



The stigmas are at the base of the spadix and are mature first, 

 and if the flies bring pollen, from anthers, from another flower at a 

 later stage they cross-pollinate the plant. It is considered by Father 

 Gerard, S.J., that the liquor secreted by the stigmas has a stupefying 

 effect on the flies, which are found killed and digested in the inner 

 part of the spathe, so that the plant is in this sense apparently in- 

 sectivorous. 



During the second stage the stigmatic papillae wither, and a drop 

 of sweet liquid appears in the middle of each stigma as a reward, whilst 

 in the third stage the anthers open and pollen falls on the floor of the 

 chamber, and can hardly fail to dust the flies. When the palisade of 

 hairs withers, these helpful insects pass out and may enter another 

 flower in the first stage. The flowers are visited by Ceratopagon, 

 Ckironoimis, Sciara, Psyckoda, Limosina, Drosophila. 



The fruit is a berry, fleshy, and red when ripe, poisonous, but eaten 

 sometimes by birds and man. Usually the berries fall when ripe around 

 the parent plant. 



Cuckoo Pint is a humus-loving plant, growing in a humus soil, and 

 largely a clay-loving plant, preferring clay to sand. 



Two fungi, Protomyces ari and one stage of Puccinia phalaridis, 

 grow on this plant. 



A moth, the Lesser Broad-border (Triphesna ianthind], is found 

 upon it. 



Arum, Dioscorides, is from an Arabic root, and the second Latin 

 name refers to the spotted leaves. 



This queer plant is known by a variety of names, Aaron, Adam- 

 and-Eve, Adders-meat, Adder's-tongue, Aron, Arrowroot, Bloody 

 Man's Fingers, Bobbin-and-Joan, Bobbins, Buckrams, Bulls-and-Cows, 

 Bulls-and-wheys, Calf's-foot, Cocky-baby, Cow-and-calves, Cuckoo- 

 babies, Cuckoo, Cock, Cuckoo-flower, Cuckoo-pint, Cuckoo-pintle, 



