70 THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS 



rest of the flower. Aceras anthropophora, the man- 

 orchid, has green sepals and petals, edged with red, 

 and a yellow lip, pink fringed. Cypripedhmi calceolus, 

 the lady's slipper, CephalantJiera grandifloi-a, white 

 helleborine, and most other British species, are simi- 

 larly very diversified in colour. As to the exotic 

 species, some of them are more peculiarly tinted and 

 blended with half a dozen different hues than any 

 other forms of flowers in the whole world. 



On the other hand, primitive yellow flowers of the 

 earliest type never have any lines or spots whatsoever. 

 We may therefore sum up the facts about variegation 

 as follows : — 



(i.) Very simple and primitive flowers are usually 

 of one colour throughout. 



(2.) Regular flowers of higher types are often 

 marked by lines of a different colour or shade, which 

 generally correspond with the venation of the petals. 



(3.) Irregular flowers are often marked with distinct 

 patches of different colour (sometimes transverse), 

 which seem to act as honey-guides. 



(4.) The most divergent colours usually appear on 

 the most highly modified parts of the flower. 



