104 



THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS. 



inadvertence) have really become once more ento- 

 mophilous ; and they are much visited by bees, 

 which obtain honey from the small glands between 

 the florets and the axis (Figs. 38 and 39). Degenerate 

 as these last-named species undoubtedly are, they 

 may be connected by a regular line of illustrative 

 examples (not genetically) through the beech, aider* 



Fig. 38.— Male flower of willow 

 {Salix) ; greenish. 



Fig. 39 —Female flower of willow 

 {Sa/ix); greenish. 



nettle, goosefoot, SclerantJuis^ Hemiaria, and Corri- 

 giola, with such perfect petaliferous types as the pinks, 

 and ultimately the buttercups. 



Among Monocotj'Iedons, the very degraded little 

 entomophilous flowers of the Arum (Fig. 40), enclosed 

 in their green spathe, are often spoken of as though 

 they represented a primitive type. In reality, how- 

 ever, they are degenerate dichlamydeous blossoms, 

 linked to the lilies by Acorns (Fig. 41), which has 

 numerous hermaphrodite flowers, each with a perianth 

 of six scales, two rows of stamens, and a two-celled 



