S o FLOWERS OF THE FIELDS AND MEADOWS 



green, blunt, black at the tip. The achenes are flattened at the margin, 

 somewhat hairy without pappus. 



Flowering takes place in March up till August or later. It is 

 perennial, and multiplied by division of roots. 



The flowers are gynomonoecious, with female and complete flowers 

 on the same head. The ray florets are female, as a rule. The disk 

 florets are hermaphrodite. The ray florets are 5 mm. across, the disk 

 6 mm., so that the whole capitulum is about 16 mm. There are no 

 stamens in the ray. and the styles have no sweeping hairs as happens 

 in some cases, the two branches being covered throughout with larger 

 stigmatic papillae, receptive to pollen. The style is short in the com- 

 plete disk florets, and is provided with a pollen brush, on the outer 

 surface, from the broad part to the tip. The pollen brush serves as the 

 style lengthens to sweep the pollen out of the anther cylinder, and to 

 heap it up in a mass till insects visit the flower. The stigmatic papillae 

 are in the disk florets confined to a narrow line on each border below 

 the broadest part. The stigmas after pollination has taken place are 

 withdrawn into the tube, and this economizes the use of the pollen. 



At sunset the florets close up, hence Daisy (daies eye), and in wet 

 weather also. 



The plant is visited by the Hive Bee, Andrena, Halictns, Sphecodes, 

 Nomada, Osmia, Myrmica; flies, Empis, Eristalis, Rhingia, Syritta, 

 Mclithreptes, Scatophaga, Lucilia, Musca; and the butterflies Polyom- 

 inatus; beetles, Meligethes, CEdemera, Leptura. 



There is no pappus, but the achenes are provided with flattened 

 ribs, which aid in wind dispersal. 



Though the Daisy grows apparently everywhere in spring and 

 early summer, from the wealth of flowers to be noticed on all hands, 

 yet it has a predilection for sandy soil, and is more or less a sand plant. 

 It will grow, too, on a clay soil, and in such cases is a clay plant. 



A minute little cluster-cup fungus, Puccinia obscura, grows upon 

 it. No insects feed upon it. 



The name Bellis, Fuchs, is from the Latin bellus, pretty, and the 

 second Latin name refers to the length of its flowering season and 

 perennial nature. 



So common a plant has an abundance of names, which, on account 

 of its universality, we give in full: Bachelor's Buttons, Bairnwort, 

 Banwort, Bennergowan, Bennert, Bennet, Benwort, Bessy-banwood, 

 Billy Button, Boneflower, Bonwort, Briswort, Bruisewort, Cat-posy, 

 Cockiloorie, Comfrey, Confery, Less Consound, Cumfirie, Daiseysheg, 

 Daisy, Dog-, Shepherd's-, Small-, or the Children's Daisy, Dazeg, 



