12 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



indentation shows, of two petals. Two other petals form the 

 sides of the corolla, while the lower lip, which projects farther 

 forward, corresponds to the fifth petal. The basal portion of 

 the corolla narrows suddenly, and this part, which is surrounded 

 by the sepals, is colourless, while the rest is of a uniform purplish 

 red colour with paler blotches. On looking into the tube the 

 lower lip, and to a less extent the sides, will be seen to be marked 

 by dark spots, around each of which is a pale area. A short 

 distance within the mouth of the bell long white hairs will be 

 noticed standing up from the lower lip and sides. 



No trace of the parts within the corolla can be seen from the 

 outside, but on looking into the tube the stamens and the style 

 will be found bent against the upper lip, but not reaching nearly 

 to the opening. Their position will be clear from Fig. 3 on the 

 plate, which represents a flower cut in half lengthwise. The 

 stamens are four in number, and are attached to the inner sur- 

 face of the corolla. They will be found, on considering their 

 places of attachment, to alternate with the lobes of the corolla ; 

 the stamen opposite to the notch in the upper lip is wanting. 

 The filaments of the four stamens are of such lengths and are so 

 bent that their anthers stand in two pairs below the upper lip ; 

 the stamens of the more anterior pair have the longer filaments. 

 Each anther consists of two very distinct lobes, which open by 

 slits on the surface, and face downwards ; the anthers of the 

 longer pair of stamens open first. When the corolla with the 

 stamens has been pulled off the pistil can be examined, and will be 

 found to consist of a large greenish ovary which bears a long style 

 ending in a stigma with two short lobes. The ovary is covered 

 with fine white hairs, and the half towards the back of the flower 

 is less strongly developed than the front half. The style is curved 

 backwards, so that it, like the stamens, lies against the upper lip. 

 As the presence of a two-lobed stigma suggests, the pistil is formed 

 of two carpels standing front and back in the flower. On cutting 

 across the ovary, and looking at it with a lens, two cavities will 

 be seen, each practically filled by a projection of the partition 

 bearing the numerous ovules. The detailed study of the 

 flower confirms the impression given by the general view that 

 it is irregular and can only be divided into equal halves by a 



