274 THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. [PART IT. 
Sanicula europea, L., is andromoneecious. Each umbel contains 
one to three proterandrous hermaphrodite flowers, surrounded by 
ten to twenty male flowers which develop later. Both kinds 
resemble those of Astrantia major in structure (590, I.). 
174. ContumM MACULATUM, L.—The adjoining figures serve to” 
illustrate a peculiarity of the Umbellifers not well displayed in the 
other figures, namely the very slow and gradual development of 
the flowers, at first wholly male, and later wholly female. 
Fig. 1 represents a flower beginning to expand, but still far 
below its full size. The anther a! has dehisced and is covered with 
pollen; a is on the point of dehiscence; the other three are not 
oR ely ae 
Fic. 92.—Conium maculatum, L. 
1.—Flower at the commencement of its first (male) stage. 
2.—Ditto, in the middle of its male stage. 
3.—Ditto, in its second (female) stage. 
hh oe ee Se a ee 
ID eae 
yet ripe; a° is more advanced than a; and a, the most backward, — 
is still curled inwards: no trace of styles is yet to be seen. Each — 
anther stands at a distance of two-fifths of the circumference from the — 
preceding one. The second figure shows a slightly older and full- 
sized flower, in the middle of its male period. The anther a} is 
empty and withered; a? is half shrivelled and has still a slight 
dusting of pollen; a? has just dehisced and is fully coated with 
pollen; a* is on the point of dehiscing,—it opened while the 
drawing was being made; a is still closed. The styles are still 
short and bent inwards with undeveloped stigmas. Lastly, the 
third figure shows a flower in its second stage: the anthers 
have fallen off; the styles have raised themselves erect; a 
stigmatic knob has been developed on the end of each style. 
Even this notoriously poisonous plant receives abundance of 
insect-visitors who greedily lick up its honey. . 
