Hi.] RANUNCULUS, CLEMATIS. 55 



RANUNCULACE^E. 



This order contains fourteen British genera, in- 

 cluding the Clematis, Ranunculus (Buttercup), Ane- 

 mone, Columbine, Hellebore, Larkspur, Paeony, &c. 



In the Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), the anthers 

 commence to discharge their pollen, as soon as the 

 flower opens, beginning from the outside. The 

 stigmas, however, are not as yet mature, nor do the 

 stamens open on the side which is turned towards 

 them, but on the contrary, on their edges; moreover 

 as each stamen ripens, it generally turns outwards. 

 The result of this is that bees and other insects, which 

 visit the flowers in search of honey, are almost sure 

 to dust themselves with pollen ; which they carry 

 away with them, and are then very likely to deposit 

 it on another flower. The stigmas are mature before 

 the inner stamens have shed all their pollen, and self- 

 fertilisation must often take place, both by means of 

 the small insects which may almost invariably be found 

 wandering about the flower, and because the inner 

 stamens often touch some of the stigmas. Larger 

 insects, however, which fly from flower to flower, must 

 habitually carry the pollen from the younger flowers, 

 and deposit it on the stigmas of those more advanced. 



Clematis recta produces no honey, but is visited for 

 the sake of the pollen. It is proterandrous (see p. 28), 

 but not very decidedly so ; for as in other flowers 

 which do not produce honey, if the stamens had shed 

 all their pollen before the pistil came to maturity, 

 insects would cease to visit the flowers before the 

 stigma had attained maturity, and had thus become 

 susceptible of fertilisation. 



