20 SPRING FLOWERS. 



by the combination of the two lateral sepals behind or beneath 

 the lip, while the two petals are narrower^ spreading right 

 and left : these all being of a deep brownish-purple. The lip 

 is a large inflated pouch-shaped body, and is compared to a 

 a slipper; it is yellow, variegated with purple. The column 

 is broadish, and much shorter than the petals ; and in this 

 case the central stamen is abortive, and the two lateral ones 

 are perfect. 



The Spring Squill,"^ a regular-flowered Monocotyledon, and 

 one of the Liliaceous family, is a delicate little bulbous plant, 

 found in sandy wastes and pastures, especially near the sea. 

 It has narrow-linear leaves, and a flower-scape bearing at top 

 a short raceme of small blue starry flowers. The perianth of 

 these flowers is composed of six nearly equal spreading seg- 

 ments, all coloured alike, and within them close to their base 

 are inserted six stamens, one opposite each segment, the centre 

 being occupied by the ovary. This is a superior ovary, the 

 other parts of the flower being developed exterior to and 

 beneath it. 



Another example of a spring-flowering Liliaceous plant, also 

 regular-flowered, is afforded by the Bluebell, f the " shade- 

 loving hyacinth" of the poets, a pretty bulbous plant, very 

 abundant in Britain, in woods, hedgerows, and other shady 

 places. This plant has broadish-linear leaves, and a flower- 

 stem about a foot high, bearing a terminal one-sided or nod- 

 ding raceme of pendent flowers, each flower having a small 

 leafy bract at the base of its pedicel or stalk. The perianth 

 is tubulose, the segments united for a short distance at the 

 base, spreading only at the top where they become recurved. 

 It is usually of a deep blue, though in some cases white, or 



* Scilla verna—Vlaie 6 C. 



t Hyacinthus non-scriptus — Plate 6 D. 



