i 4 FLOWERS OF THE FIELDS AND MEADOWS 



border, linear, with flat, nerved, elastic valves. The seeds are flattened 

 at the border. 



Lady's Smock is in flower between April and June. It is a 

 herbaceous perennial, 1-2 ft. in height. 



The flowers are large and conspicuous, the yellow anthers serving 

 as honey-guides, by the strong contrast of colour they exhibit to the 

 lilac petals, which are large, the flower being about f in. across. 

 There are four honey-glands, which lie at the base of the two short 

 stamens, forming green fleshy cushions most conspicuous externally 

 where honey collects. Two other glands lie at the base of the two 

 long' stamens. The honey collects in the pouches formed by the base 

 of the persistent rather large sepals. The pouches of the two sepals 

 subtending the larger honey-glands are larger than the others, broad, 

 and more inflated below. 



At first the anthers face the centre, the pistil being slightly lower 

 than the long stamens on a level with the short stamens. The four 

 inner lengthen before the flower opens and turn sideways, and an 

 insect visitor is dusted with their pollen in seeking for honey from the 

 larger honey -glands. When the flowers do not open, or in wet 

 weather, the stamens do not always revolve, pollen may fall on the 

 stigma and the flower is then self-pollinated. 



The shorter stamens remain turned inwards towards the stigma, and 

 they may be shorter (when self-pollination is impossible) or longer than 

 the latter. There are thus equal chances of self- or cross-pollination. 



The visitors are Hymenoptera (Apidae), Diptera (Bombyliidse, 

 Empidae, Syrphidae, Muscidae), Lepidoptera, Coleoptera (Nitidulidae, 

 Staphylinidae), Thysanoptera (Thrips\ 



The Cuckoo Flower disperses its seeds itself. The fruit is a dry 

 capsule or siliqua, in which when ripe the valves become ready to 

 burst, and after rolling U p they are often detached, and so disperse the 

 seeds which are jerked out by an explosive motion. 



The plant is galled by Cecidomyia Cardaminis. Two beetles, 

 Phyllotreta tetrastigma, Phczdon betulce, and a Hemipterous insect, 

 Cimex f estiva, infest it. 



Dioscorides gave the name Cardamine, which is the Greek for 

 subduing the heart karda, heart; damao, to strengthen, overpower. 

 The English name alludes to the white appearance of linen, and 

 Cuckoo Flower to the time when the cuckoo is first heard. 



The English names are Apple-pie, Canterbury Bells, Bird's-eye, 

 Bogspinks, Bonny- Bird- Een, Cuckoo's Bread, Bread-and-Milk, Cuckoo- 

 pint, Cuckoo's Shoes and Stockings, Gookoo- buttons, Headache, 



