316 



THE LOWER DICOTYLEDONS. 



(primarily as a green protective envelope), and should the 

 " petals " develop as honey-tubes or remain undeveloped the 

 " sepals " usually become white or coloured when the flower 

 opens, rarely remaining green (Wild Hellebore), so that it is 

 at least convenient to limit the term " petals " in this family 

 to the honey-leaves. 



The flowers are usually protandrous, with the anthers 

 extrorse (opening on their outer faces), but those of Tkalic- 

 trum (Meadow-rue), Helleborus (Christmas Rose), and Eran- 

 this (Winter Aconite) are protogynous, and those of Wood 

 Anemone and Trollius (G-lobe-flower) are homogamous. 



Wood Anemone and Traveller's Joy are honeyless flowers, 

 visited chiefly by small insects (flies, etc.) for pollen, but in 



CTAR 



SPUR- OF 

 POST. SEPAL 



Fig. 123. Longit\icHnal Section of Flower of Larkspur (D. ajacis). 



some species of Anemone and Clematis (Traveller's Joy) 

 there are honeyed staminodes partially concealed by the 

 sepal-bases and the stamens, and therefore only reached by 

 fairly long-tongued insects. Adonis (Pheasant's-eye) and 

 Thalictrum are also " pollen-flowers " ; some species of 

 Thalictrum have polygamous flowers (some with stamens or 

 with carpels only, others with both, on same plant) and are 

 largely wind-pollinated, though the kinds with pretty anthers 

 are visited by insects. 



The flowers of Trollius and Wood Anemone are often self- 

 pollinated, and in most of the other genera self-pollination 

 may occur as a last resort, but in Helleborus it is precluded 

 by the absolute protogyny of the flower. In Nigella (Love- 

 in-a-mist) the long styles are at first erect, out of reach of 



