Beautiful Flowering Shrubs 



sharply pointed buds open, four green sepals lie back 

 and, alternating with them, four petals " ivory pure " 

 as Cowper says, form a wide shallow cup. Since each 

 petal narrows at the base, the sepals beneath show 

 between so that the gaps form a green cross at the 

 bottom of the white cup. There are many stamens 

 whose yellow heads are still closed when the bud 

 unfolds, while in the centre four green columns, or 

 styles, rise from a seed-case lying below the attachment 

 of the petals. On the seed-case lies a disc of half- 

 concealed honey. Naturally, with honey and scent so 

 lavishly provided, insect visitors are not lacking, and 

 though bees chiefly visit and fertilise, yet beetles, flies, 

 moths and butterflies all come in their turn. 



Unlike the stamens, the styles are ready to take 

 their share in' the fertilisation process directly the bud 

 opens, so the earliest visitors, bringing pollen on their 

 bodies, perform the office of fertilisation. A little later 

 the outer stamens open their heads and discharge their 

 pollen, their example being followed successively by 

 those within. At this time insects carry away as well 

 as bring pollen to the flower visited. Finally, since 

 the stamens approach very close to the styles, and bend 

 over them, the escaping pollen falls on to them, and 

 hence self-fertilisation will be effected if by any mis- 

 chance cross-fertilisation has not been accomplished. 



The fruit, a dry capsule, contains a number of seeds. 



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