IIO FLOWERS OF LAKES, RIVERS, ETC. 



bloom from July to September. It is a perennial, propagated by 

 division, and is worth cultivating. 



There are three types of plant which have been found on the 

 Continent. In one the flower is conspicuous, and is rarely if ever self- 

 pollinated. This is a sun plant, occurring on embankments. In a 

 second less conspicuous shade form self-pollination regularly occurs. 

 In places of an intermediate character, as ditch banks, there are tran- 

 sitional types. None 

 of these forms contain 

 honey. The petals in 

 the sun plant are dark- 

 yellow and have red 

 spots at the base, like 

 honey-guides, and are 

 expanded or bent back 

 at the tip, the petals be- 

 ing 12 mm. long and 6 

 mm. wide. The anther- 

 stalks are also red-tipped. 

 The anthers are included, 

 and the style is much 

 longer, well projecting. 

 If an insect visits the 

 flower it touches the stig- 

 ma first and cross-polli- 

 nates the flower. In the 

 absence of insects seed is 

 not set, as the anthers are 

 not level with the stigma 

 and the flower is erect. 



The petals in the shade plant are of a lighter yellow. There are 

 no red spots below. They are not so long or wide, being 10 mm. and 

 5 mm. respectively, nor do they expand so far, but are oblique. The 

 anther-stalks are greenish-yellow. Here the style and the two longer 

 inferior stamens are of equal length. Hence if the flower is not visited 

 and cross-pollinated by insects, self-pollination may occur. In the 

 third type the anther-stalks may be red, or the petals may be larger, 

 or red and large.. Further, the corolla may be slightly reddish at the 

 base, and in a fifth case the style may be longer than the longer 

 stamens. The flowers are visited by pollen-seeking insects. An insect 

 that is especially abundant where these plants are found is Macropis 



GREAT YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE (Lysimachia vulgaris, L.) 



