From Blue to Purple 



the symbol in armory for industry and perseverance. It is said 

 some relics of gold and fine stones, somewhat resembling an 

 insect in shape, had been found in the tomb of Clovis's father, 

 and on the supposition that these had been bees. Napoleon appro- 

 priated them for the imperial badge. Henceforth "Napoleonic 

 bees" appeared on his coronation robe and wherever a heraldic 

 emblem could be employed. 



But even in the meadows of France Napoleon need not have 

 looked far from the fleurs-de-lis growing there to find bees. 

 Indeed, this gorgeous flower is thought by scientists to be all 

 that it is for the bees' benefit, which, of course, is its own also. 

 Abundant moisture, from which to manufacture nectar — a prime 

 necessity with most irises — certainly is for our blue flag. The 

 large showy blossom cannot but attract the passing bee, whose 

 favorite color (according to Sir John Lubbock) it waves. The 

 bee alights on the convenient, spreading platform, and, guided by 

 the dark veining and golden lines leading to the nectar, sips the 

 delectable fluid shortly to be changed to honey. Now, as he raises 

 his head and withdraws it from the nectary, he must rub it against 

 the pollen-laden anther above, and some of the pollen necessarily 

 f;ills on the visitor. As the sticky side of the plate (stigma), just 

 under the petal-like division of the style, faces away from the 

 anther, which is below it in any case, the flower is marvellously 

 guarded against fertilization from its own pollen. The bee, flying 

 off to another iris, must first brush past the projecting lip of the 

 over-arching style, and leave on the stigmatic outer surface of the 

 plate some of the pollen brought from the first flower, before 

 reaching the nectary. Thus cross-fertilization is effected ; and 

 Darwin has shown how necessary this is to insure the most vigor- 

 ous and beautiful offspring. Without this wonderful adaptation 

 of the flower to the requirements of its insect friends, and of the 

 insect to the needs of the flower, both must perish ; the former 

 from hunger, the latter because unable to perpetuate its race. 

 And yet man has greedily appropriated all the beauties of the 

 floral kingdom as designed for his sole delight ! 



The name iris, meaning a deified rainbow, which was given 

 this group of plants by the ancients, shows a fine appreciation of 

 their superb coloring, their ethereal texture, and the evanescent 

 beauty of the blossom. (Illustration, frontispiece.) 



In spite of the name given to another species, the Southern 

 Blue Flag (/. hexagona) is really the larger one ; its leaves, which 

 are bright green, and never hoary, often equalling the stem in its 

 height of from two to three feet. The handsome solitary flower, 

 similar to that of the larger blue flag, nevertheless has its broad 

 outer divisions fully an inch larger, and is seated in the axils at 

 the top of the circular stem. The oblong, cylindric, six-angled 

 capsule also contains two rows of seeds in each cavity. From 



lO 



