EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS 189 



The slender flower-stalk has a brownish red colour. The five 

 sepals, the free tips of which project as pointed teeth, are united 

 to form a wide tubular calyx. The midrib of each sepal appears 

 as a brownish red ridge on the outside of the pinkish calyx, and 

 a similar rib runs down midway .between each of the first set, so 

 that ten ridges are present. The tubular calyx holds together 

 the five free petals, the insertion of which is seen on splitting 

 open the calyx to be separated by a distinct internode from that 

 of the sepals. In each petal we distinguish a narrow stalk-like 

 part from the pink-coloured portion, which expands above the 

 mouth of the calyx. The wider terminal portion is deeply notched, 

 and each half is in turn divided. Just where the stalk passes into 

 the expanded part two upgrowths, pink at the base, whitish above, 

 spring from the upper surface of each petal. These upgrowths 

 stand edge to edge, and may be compared with the corona of the 

 Daffodil. 



There are two whorls of five stamens, the outer standing 

 between the petals and the inner ones opposite to the petals. 

 In the centre of the flower is the green ovary bearing five long 

 whitish stigmas. If the ovary is carefully opened the numerous 

 ovules will be found to be borne on a central plug projecting into 

 the cavity, and not connected with the wall except at the base of 

 the ovary (cf. Fig. 56, D). 



Nectar is secreted at the base of the stamens, and the flowers 

 are visited by a number of insects, especially by butterflies and 

 moths, in search of it. To understand the effect of the insects 

 passing from flower to flower it is necessary to follow the order of 

 maturing of the stamens and stigmas. The five outer stamens 

 ripen first, and while the pollen is being shed their anthers occupy 

 the entrance to the tube of the flower. As the other five stamens 

 in turn mature, their anthers take the same position, and when 

 they have withered the five stigmas, which till now have been 

 small and undeveloped, grow up and fill the entrance to the 

 flower. When an insect visits a flower in the earlier pollen- 

 shedding stage it will carry away pollen on its proboscis or head ; 

 on going to a flower in the later stage, in which the stigmas are 

 mature, it will deposit pollen on these but will not receive pollen 

 from the flower. Cross-pollination is therefore likely to take 



