410 



HUTCHINSON'S POPULAR BOTANY 



also from the nectaries of 

 Ranunculus in being thick 

 and fleshy. In the Helle- 

 bores the petals are con- 

 verted into little green vases, 

 which are filled with nectar. 

 In the Violet and Pansy 

 (Viola] the correlation be- 

 tween the nectaries and the 

 other organs of the flower 

 is extremely interesting. 



FIG. 510. FLOWER OF YUCCA (Yucca recurva). 



The intricate arrangement of the several parts 

 is a little baffling at first, but the drawing 

 (fig. 482) will help to an understanding of the 

 mechanism/ iif the flower. The sketch represents 

 a flower laid open to show the two nectar-excreting 

 appendages of the lower stamens, which, it will 

 be noticed, are inserted in the spurred petal. 

 Into this spur the liquid honey drops. The curious 

 globular head of the stigma, with its hollow 

 mouth-like chamber and tongue-shaped flap, is 

 seen peeping above the triangular anthers, which 

 surround the style collar-fashion : while the pear- 

 shaped ovary is completely hidden by the broadened 

 and cohering filaments of the stamens. The 



FIG. 512. YUCCA-MOTH 

 GATHERING POLLEN. 



FIG. 511. YUCCA-MOTH (Pronuba yuccasella). 

 With ball of pollen (/>) held by tentacle (a). 



drawing also shows one of 

 the two lateral petals, with 

 its tuft of hairs. Both of the 

 lateral petals are furnished 

 with these hairs, which aid 

 the bee in clinging to the 

 flower. In some species of 

 Viola the grooved part of the 

 inferior spurred petal is also 

 fringed with hairs, but they 

 are for collecting pollen. 



