THE BUGLE. 22 



five petals of the corolla are united to form a somewhat bell- 

 shaped flower, the mouth of which is divided into two unequal 

 lips. The upper lip is two-lobed, the lower three-lobed. The 

 upper usually acts as a roof to shelter the stamens and stigmas, 

 the lower as a platform upon which insects may alight when 

 they come to seek honey and to fertilize the flower. In the 

 present species the anthers and stigmas project beyond the 

 upper lip, which is very short ; but they are protected by the 

 overhanging lower bract of the flower above. There are 

 interesting facts in connection with the fertilization of these 

 labiate flowers, which, however, we must leave for a couple of 

 pages. It is characteristic of the Labiatae that the stems are 

 square, the leaves opposite, the corolla bilabiate, the stamens 

 less in number than the lobes of the corolla. 



The Forget-me-not is so well known that with our limited 

 space we will be content with noting that its flowers are 

 similar in structure to those of the Lungwort (page 9), though 

 the tube is shorter. Like Pulmonaria, it is a plant of the 

 order Boragineas, genue Myosotis. There are six British 

 species. Name, from two Greek words signifying mouse-ear, 

 in allusion to the shape of the leaves. 



The Greater Plantain (Plantago major], and 

 The Ribwort Plantain (P. lanceolata). 



These are among the despised of our wild-flowers, weeds among 

 weeds. They are considered of interest only to the keeper of 

 cage-birds, by whose pets the ripe fruit-stalks are much appreci- 

 ated. But if we knew the plants better we should appreciate them 

 more. There must be something worthy of respect in a plant 

 that has contrived to get itself so taken throughout the world 

 that it is known wherever Europeans have been, and is called the 

 White-man's Foot. The leaves of the genus are characterized 

 by having strongly developed parallel ribs on the under surface. 



