MEADOW CRANE'S BILL 



21 



The Meadow Crane's Bill is often 3 or 4 ft. high. The flowers 

 may be found from June to September. The plant is perennial, in- 

 creasing by division of the root. 



This well-known wild flower exhibits admirably numerous adapta- 

 tions to cross-pollination. Dark lines on the petals converging towards 

 the centre act as honey-guides, and indicate where the honey-glands lie 

 at the base of the outer stamens. The hairs on the claws of the petals 

 protect the honey from the 

 rain. The flowers are large 

 and conspicuous and wide 

 open, and short-lipped in- 

 sects can gain access to the 

 honey. 



The anthers ripen in 

 advance of the stigma, 

 which is a means of pre- 

 venting self-pollination. 

 When the anthers open, 

 and in this stage hang over 

 the stigma, the latter is in- 

 capable of being pollinated, 

 all the stamens ripening, 

 opening, and shrivelling 

 before the stigma is recep- 

 tive. Hence pollen must 

 be borne by insects from 

 other flowers before the 

 plant can be pollinated at 

 all, and as good seed is 

 usually set this must usually 

 be the case. 



As the anthers wither the whorls of stamens bend outwards. When 

 the anthers open the stigmas cannot be pollinated, but only when the 

 anthers are farthest away from them. The visitors are Hymenoptera 

 (Apidai, Apis mellifica, Osuiia rnfa, Chelostoma stclis, Andrena, 

 Halictus, Prosopis)', Diptera (Syrphidae, Melithreptus}. 



The Meadow Crane's Bill disperses its seeds by its own mechanism. 

 The fruit is many-seeded, splitting into single parts that break off 

 separately. When the seeds are ripe the carpels split, and the seeds 

 are scattered by an explosive movement. 



In the case of this species the carpels, which are hairy, not netted, 



MEADOW CRANE'S BILL (Geranium pratense, L. ) 



