EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS 173 



number of narrow red lines converging to the centre of the 

 flower. 



If the calyx is carefully slit up and bent back the insertion 

 of the petals will be visible. The narrow horizontal base of the 

 standard is concave and overlaps the wings to some extent. 

 Each wing is inserted by a very narrow stalk-like part ; parallel 

 to this on the upper side is an extension backwards of the 

 broader portion. The base of this extension appears from the 

 outside as a depression. From the inside it appears as a 

 projecting bulge, which fits into a corresponding depression on 

 the outside of the petal forming one-half of the keel (Fig. 82, 3, 4). 

 The wings and keel are thus locked together, and the edges of 

 the wings are also joined for a short distance above the keel. 

 The two petals forming the keel are inserted separately by 

 narrow stalks on the receptacle. The edges of the wider portions 

 are joined both above and below (Fig. 82, 5, 7), so that the keel 

 forms a flattened tubular structure tapering to the point, where 

 the tube is open. 



The stamens are completely enclosed in the keel, which must 

 be slit up to show them. One stamen standing in the middle 

 line behind is free from the other nine, the stalks of which are 

 joined together to form a trough-like structure. The free portions 

 of the filaments bearing the anthers spring from the margin 

 of this ; they occupy the up-turned tip of the keel. Five of the 

 stamens are longer than the other five, and their filaments are 

 swollen below the attachment of the anthers. As Fig. 82, 8 

 shows, these club-shaped ends of the filaments together fill up 

 the narrowing tube formed by the keel. The anthers open 

 early, so that the pollen is shed in the tip of the keel in front 

 of this. 



The green pod-like ovary is enclosed by the trough formed 

 by the united filaments. The ovary stands almost horizontally, 

 while the slender style is almost at right angles to it, and lies 

 between the free portion of the stamens and extends beyond 

 them (Fig. 82, 8). The style ends in the small stigma, which is 

 thus surrounded by pollen near the tip of the keel. The ovary 

 contains a number of ovules attached to the upper margin where 

 the edges of the single carpel join together. 



