50 MYSTERIES OF THE FLOWERS 



BLUE-EYED GRASS Sisyrinchium angustifolium 

 May-June 



The pistil of this flower stands well 

 above the corolla. Below it are grouped 

 three stamens. What seems the corolla is 

 a cup, or six-pointed star, formed by three 

 petals and three sepals of lovely violet-blue. 

 The flower is cross-fertilised by the bees 

 and the bee-like flies (SyrpUdce) who, on 

 arriving with pollen, first touch the ad- 

 vancing stigma, which is three-parted and 

 EYED sensitive only on its upper surface. On 

 retreating, the insects may brush , against 



the under and insensitive surface of the stigma 



only. 



SWAMP ROSE-MALLOW Hibiscus moscheutos 

 August-Sept. 



The swamp rose-mallow 

 shows us another fine exam- 

 ple of this mode of making 

 sure that the stigmas shall 

 receive the first contact of 

 an approaching insect. 

 They consist of a group of five adhesive discs, far 

 in advance of the many pollen-bearing stamens, 

 growing like a furry muff around the central style. 



SWAMP ROSE -MALLOW 

 Stamens and Stigmas 



