148 MYSTERIES OF THE FLOWERS 



They grow in small, spiral racemes, and we notice 

 that the lower flowers on the spike are 

 wider open than those higher up. The 

 reason for this will be plain when we 

 examine sections of the flowers. In the 

 upper and partly open flower the col- 

 umn is curved downward and the lower 

 lip curved upward, so that the pollen 

 masses, four in number, come just where 

 the passage leads to the interior of the 

 flower and the nectar it contains. 

 In the older flowers, growing 

 farther down, the pollen has 

 been taken, the lip has uncurled 

 downward, and the column has 

 straightened up, so as to expose 

 its stigmatic surface, beneath, 

 to the pollen which a bee may 

 bring. 



The cycle of action is as fol- 

 lows: From the upper blossoms 

 the bee carries away some pol- 

 len-masses upon his tongue, and 

 these, as usual, wilt and incline 

 forward. From this flower-spike 

 the bee sweeps downward to the 

 RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN lower flowers of a neighbouring 



