80 MYSTERIES OF THE FLOWERS 



their stamens: the anther-cells do not 

 both develop. Being placed in the hood 

 of the flower, the front anther-cell alone 

 would touch an incoming bee, and the 

 back anther-cell, becoming useless, has 

 been abolished. 



This has not taken place, however, 

 in the blue-curls. 



SCUTELLARIA 



Blue-curls — Trichostema dichotomum 



Here the stamens are elongated to such an extent 

 that they emerge entirely from the hood and arch 

 over and down toward the lower lip of the flower. 

 This gives the flower a quaint, odd appearance, as 

 if it were upside-down, and allows all the anthers 

 to come into play, rubbing the back of any insect 

 that enters. The pis- 

 til is short at first, but 

 elongates as it ripens. 



The garden sage 

 goes through the same 

 course of develop- 

 ment, but in addition 

 has perfected a most 

 elaborate mechanism 

 which will be de- 

 scribed further on. 



BLUE -CURLS 



