EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS 225 



the stigmatic lip and then against the downwardly directed open 

 anther. On creeping out of the flower the pollen on the bee's 

 back will only come in contact with the non-receptive side of 

 the stigmatic lip. When a bee with pollen on its back enters 

 another third of the same flower or another flower, the pollen 

 will be deposited on the stigmatic surface of the scoop-like lip. 

 If the visit is to another flower, cross-pollination will result. 

 Consideration of the very beautiful arrangement of the parts in 

 this flower shows that pollen cannot possibly fall on the stigma 

 in the absence of insect visitors, and that insect visits may 

 result either in pollination of the stigma of one third of the flower 

 by pollen from the stamen of another third or in cross-pollination. 

 The close fitting of the style on the perianth segment excludes 

 small and weak-bodied insects which would be useless to the 

 flower. 



The fruit of the Iris consists of the enlarged inferior ovary, 

 from the summit of which the withered remains of the rest of 

 the flower has fallen. This becomes a dry capsule, which, like 

 the ovary, is triangular on cross section. When ripe it splits 

 along the three angles, thus opening the cavities from which the 

 flattened seeds escape. 



THE GERMANDER SPEEDWELL (Veronica Chamadrys, L.). 



A number of kinds of Speedwell are found commonly in 

 Britain ; some grow in ditches and damp places, while others prefer 

 drier spots. The Germander Speedwell is readily recognised by its 

 bright blue flowers and by the two lines of white hairs running 

 down opposite sides of its stems. It can be found everywhere in 

 dry grassy land and by roadsides, preferring open sunny situations. 



The plant is perennial, and has a smooth cylindrical under- 

 ground stem sending out numerous roots at the nodes. Branches 

 arise from the axils of the reduced leaves borne on this stem, and 

 grow up into the leafy shoots. Each of the latter has a 

 cylindrical green stem, often tinged with purple, and bears a pair 

 of leaves at each node. The successive pairs of leaves alternate, 

 and they are separated by rather long internodes. The leaf, 

 which has hardly any stalk, is inserted on the stem by a broad 



VOL. III. 15 



