igo THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



place, but in default of this the stigmas as they develop may come 

 in contact with pollen grains remaining adherent to the withered 

 anthers of the same flower, and so be self-pollinated. 



After pollination the ovary enlarges and becomes the fruit. 

 This is surrounded by the calyx, while the other parts of the 

 flower wither and fall away. The fruit, when mature, opens by its 

 dry wall splitting at the tip into five teeth, which curve backwards 

 and leave a wide opening into the single cavity. From this the 

 little seeds developed from the ovules can readily be shaken. 



The Red Campion (Lychnis diurna) occurs, often in large num- 

 bers, on sunny banks or in partially cleared woods. The mode of 

 growth of the plant is very similar to that of the Ragged Robin, and 

 the branching of the inflorescence is the same. The stem is round 

 and hairy, and the leaves are larger and softer and bear short 

 hairs on both surfaces. 



In collecting material for study two kinds of plants will be 

 recognised. These are best distinguished by looking at the flowers. 

 In the opening of the corolla of all the flowers on some plants the 

 anthers shedding the pollen will be seen, while in the same position 

 in other specimens are the five whitish stigmas. Several whole 

 plants of each kind should be collected, when it will be seen that, 

 though alike in mode of growth, arrangement of leaves, and branch- 

 ing, the plants bearing flowers with stamens are less robust and 

 have thinner stems and smaller leaves than those bearing pistillate 

 flowers. 



The two kinds of flowers (Fig. 87) require separate examination. 

 In the staminate flowers we find a somewhat distended calyx 

 bearing at the margin five pointed teeth. The corolla consists 

 of five rose-pink petals resembling in shape those of the Ragged 

 Robin, but not fringed in the same way. Within the petals are 

 ten stamens, but there is no pistil in the centre. Sometimes 

 five little projections are present within the ring of stamens, and 

 occasionally a flower is found with a rudimentary ovary in this 

 position. The nectar is secreted on the inner side of the bases of 

 the filaments; it is protected by the hairs growing from the 

 lower parts of the latter. 



The other type of flower (Fig. 87, B) is similar as regards the 

 calyx and corolla, but there are no obvious stamens. Within 



