EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS 227 



towards the centre of the flower, and here the tubular portion of 

 the corolla and the bases of the petals are white. The entrance 

 to the tube is protected by a fringe of hairs around the lower 

 margin. 



There are only two stamens, which diverge widely in a fully 

 open flower. They are inserted on the inner surface of the 

 corolla tube, opposite the gaps between the broad middle segment 

 behind and the lateral petals. The stalks are thin and curiously 

 curved at their insertion on the corolla. Farther up the stalk has 

 a blue colour, while the anther and the pollen contained within 

 it are white. 



The style, which projects from the corolla tube, is also slender 

 and blue. It slopes downwards in front of the narrow anterior 

 petal, and bears the small stigma farther forward than the other 

 parts of the flower. The style springs from a flattened, green 

 ovary, as is readily seen on removing the corolla from a flower. 

 Careful dissection of the ovary, with the help of a good magnifying 

 glass, will show that it is divided into two by a septum. Each 

 half is, in fact, formed by one of the two carpels, which are united 

 to form the pistil. In each cavity are a few ovules. 



Around the base of the ovary is a narrow yellow rim which 

 secretes the nectar, and it will be evident that this is accessible 

 even to short-tongued insects. The nectar is not, however, openly 

 exposed, as in some flowers, but is protected by the circle of hairs 

 within the corolla-tube. The flowers are visited by a number of 

 insects, but especially by small flies, to which they are specially 

 adapted. These come in search of the nectar. If, as is usually the 

 case, the fly approaches the flower on the wing immediately in front, 

 the first part of the flower to come in contact with the lower surface 

 of its body will be the stigma. Alighting on the flower, the insect 

 may be seen, in trying to gain a foothold, to grasp the bases of 

 the stamens and to draw them together with its legs, thus rubbing 

 the anthers against the under surface of its body. This region 

 will, after visiting a flower, be dusted with pollen, and on the 

 insect going to another flower the stigma will receive some of 

 this. If the position of the various parts in the open flower is 

 taken into account it will be readily understood that the pollen 

 would not be likely without insect agency to get from the anthers, 



