Guests, Welcome and Unwelcome 205 



one. The real blossoms are clustered round the scepter, 

 or spadix, which is golden in the one, and purplish, or 

 brown, in the other. 



In some of the southern and foreign arums the lower 

 part of the sheath, which is enlarged and contains the 

 blossoms, is shut off by a ring of longish hairs which point 

 downwards and allow the visitors to enter easily, but 

 effectually prevent their coming out again until they have 

 done what is wanted of them. The lower part of the 

 spadix generally bears the flowers with pistils, those with 

 stamens being arranged in a ring a little above. The 

 lower blossoms are ready first, and to them the insects, or 

 some of them, bring pollen from other flowers of the same 

 species. But it is not enough for them to bring pollen, 

 they must also carry some away, and for this purpose they 

 must be kept until the anthers burst. 



Meanwhile their prison is made very comfortable for 

 them; it is pleasantly scented — we are not speaking now 

 of the fleshy species — it is also warmed and provided with 

 nectar. When the anthers burst, pollen is added to the 

 feast, and some of the captives devour it so greedily as to 

 be quite intoxicated. Enough, however, remains adher- 

 ing to their legs and bodies to make them acceptable visi- 

 tors elsewhere, and as soon as the pollen is shed, and 

 there is no further reason for keeping them, the hairs 

 which prevented their escape wither and die, and they are 

 free to depart — generally, but not always. The hairy 

 arum of the South is said to show her gratitude for the 

 services rendered to her by her visitors, carrion-flies, in a 

 remarkable manner. She catches and devours many, 

 digesting them by means of the sticky hairs which cover 

 the inside of the sheath. 



