SCROPHULARINEAE 



197 



2131. V. opaca Fries (= V. agrestis Z., according to the Index Kewensis). 

 (Herm. Miiller, ' Weit. Beob./ Ill, p. 33.) 



Visitors. Herm. Miiller observed the long-tongued bee Osmia rufa L. t>, skg., 

 in Westphalia. 



2132. V. Tournefortii C. C. Gmel. (= V. persica Hort., and V, Buxbaumii 

 lenore). (Kirchner, * Flora v. Stuttgart/ p. 592.) Kirchner states that the sky-blue 

 flowers of this species are homogamous, opening about 8-9 a.m., and closing again 

 about 5-6 p.m. The anthers and filaments are blue in colour, and the latter are 

 rather thin at the base. The style is bent somewhat downwards. In a completely 

 open flower the two forwardly directed stamens diverge about 3 mm. from each other. 

 But when a flower does not open completely the anthers lie close to the stigma, and 

 automatic self-pollination takes place. 



Visitors. The following were recorded by the observers, and for the localities 

 stated. 



Kirchner, the butterfly Vanessa urticae L. Schletterer and von Dalla Torre 

 (Tyrol), the bee Andrena denticulata K. 5. Burkill (Yorkshire coast) A. Diptera. 

 (a) Muscidae: i. Lucilia cornicina i^. ; 2. Sepsis nigripeSiT^. (<5) Phoridae: 3. Phora 

 sp. B. Hymenoptera. Apidae : 4. Andrena clarkella ^. J ; 5. A. gwynana ^. $. 

 C. Lepidoptera. Rhopalocera : 6. Vanessa urticae Z. 



2133. V. didyma Tenore (= V. polita Fries). (Kirchner, 'Flora v. Stuttgart,' 

 P 592.) The homogamous flowers of this species are blue in colour, with darker 

 veins, and a yellowish-white centre. The filaments are somewhat attenuated at the 

 base and white in colour, while the anthers are blue. Secretion of nectar, and nectar- 

 cover, are as in V. Chamaedrys. Only in bright sunshine do the flowers open 

 sufficiently to allow the stamens to diverge ; generally the corolla-lobes converge so 

 that the anthers and stigma lie close together, thus rendering automatic self-pollination 

 inevitable. Plants cultivated by Kerner on the Blaser (Tyrol) produced seeds capable 

 of germination as late as September. 



Visitors. Kirchner observed the butterfly Vanessa urticae Z. 



2134. V. hederaefolia L. (Herm. Miiller. ' Fertilisation,' pp. 442-3, * Weit. 

 Beob.,' Ill, p. 33; Kirchner, '^ Flora v. Stuttgart,' p. 593.) The small, solitary, pale 

 flowers of this species are very inconspicuous. The nectary and nectar-cover are as 

 in V. Chamaedrys, but the bases of the filaments are not thinned. When the flowers 

 open the anthers have already dehisced and surround the simultaneously matured 

 stigma, so that even insect- visits in no way favour cross-pollination. Should such 

 visits fail, automatic self-pollination regularly takes place, and Hermann Miiller 

 describes it as always eflfective. In rainy weather the flowers remain closed, and 

 fertilize themselves pseudo-cleistogamously. 



Visitors. Herm. Miiller gives the following list. 



A. Colecptera. Nitidulidae : i. Meligethes sp. (Thuringia). B. Hymeno- 

 ptera. Apidae : 2. Andrena parvula IT. 5, skg. (Thuringia) ; 3. Apis mellifica Z. 5, 



; casually skg. (Thuringia) ; 4. Halictus albipes F. 5, numerous, skg. (Thuringia) ; 



15. H. leucopus K. $, do.; 6. H. lucidulus Schenck ?, skg. (Thuringia); 7. H. 

 nitidiusculus K. 5, very numerous, skg. 



