THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS. 



especially in the more highly-developed species, their 

 flowers are red, blue, or purple. Trichonema Bulbo- 

 codium is purplish-blue with a yellow centre. Our 

 two native crocuses (C. vernus and C. nudiflorus] are 

 also purple. Sisyrinchium Bermudianum is a delicate 

 blue. Gladiolus communis is brilliant crimson. Iris 

 fcetidissima (Fig. 22) is violet. Our own Amaryllids 

 are white or primrose, but brilliant reds and purples, 



FIG. 2i. Fbwer of fritillary (Fritillaria Meleagris); purple, spotted with white. 



as well as highly-developed spotted types, are common 

 amongst the cultivated exotics. 



The OrchidacecB stand at the head of the entomo- 

 philous Monocotyledons by virtue of their inferior 

 ovary, their irregular flowers, and their extraordinary 

 adaptations to insect fertilization. Purples are the 

 prevailing ground-tones ; but in the commonness of 

 variegation and of specialized lines or spots of colour 

 the Orchids answer closely to the Scrophularinem 



