16 THE PLANT-WORLD IN MARCH. 



sweet water, in taste like sugar, resembling in shew faire 

 Orient pearles, the which drops if you take away there do 

 immediately appeare the like; notwithstanding, if they be 

 suffered to stand still in the floure according to his owne 

 nature, they wil never fall away, no, not if you strike 

 the plant untill it be broken." It is probable that in the 

 native country of this interesting plant these drops of 

 nectar, secreted in conspicuous white hollows at the bases 

 of the perianth-leaves, serve to attract insects which are 

 useful in transporting the pollen to another flower. The 

 interesting observation has, however, been made that these 

 nectariferous glands, as also those of the grass of Parnassus, 

 and of the Christmas roses and other hellebores, have a 

 power of absorbing nitrogenous food, their cells undergoing 

 a characteristic internal change on their doing so. It has 

 therefore been suggested that the glands are insectivorous 

 organs ; but this is improbable in the case of a floral 

 structure, flowers being concerned with seed -production 

 rather than with feeding ; and it may be suggested that the 

 delicate walls of the cells of such glands, though normally 

 excretive, are capable under abnormal conditions of what 

 may be called reversal of function. Leaving scientific 

 questions, however, we may recall a pretty German legend, 

 which tells us that these flowers were originally erect and 

 white ; but that when our Lord passed through the garden 

 of Gethsemane on the night of the agony, and all the 

 other flowers bent in sorrowing worship, they alone 

 remained unmoved until sorrow and shame overcame 

 pride, and they have ever since had bending heads, 

 blushing faces, and flowing tears. 



But we must not linger longer, even among the fascina- 

 tions of a rustic garden; for we are in search of the 



