﻿MISSOU>^ 
  I 
  

   ■ROTANICAi. 
  

   GARDE^^ 
  

  

  Vol. 
  XV. 
  No. 
  4.— 
  Botanical 
  Gazette.— 
  Apr.. 
  i89u. 
  

  

  Flowers 
  and 
  iiisects. 
  IV. 
  

  

  CHARLES 
  ROBERTSON. 
  

  

  Baftisia 
  leucantha 
  Torr. 
  & 
  Gr. 
  — 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  arranged 
  

   in 
  long, 
  loose, 
  erect 
  racemes, 
  and 
  are 
  white, 
  except 
  a 
  broad 
  

   purple 
  streak 
  on 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  banner, 
  which 
  forms 
  a 
  nec- 
  

   tar-guide. 
  The 
  stamens 
  are 
  distinct, 
  and 
  bees 
  insert 
  their 
  

   proboscides 
  between 
  the 
  filaments 
  oi 
  the 
  upper 
  ones. 
  The 
  

   anthers 
  dehisce 
  in 
  succession. 
  Accordingly 
  bees 
  visit 
  each 
  

   flower 
  several 
  times 
  to 
  gather 
  the 
  pollen. 
  After 
  the 
  wings 
  

   and 
  keel 
  have 
  been 
  depressed 
  by 
  an 
  insect^ 
  resting 
  upon 
  

   them, 
  they 
  promptly 
  return 
  to 
  their 
  former 
  position, 
  conceal- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  stamens 
  and 
  pistil. 
  

  

  The 
  calyx 
  is 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  9 
  mm. 
  deep, 
  which 
  alone 
  would 
  

   restrict 
  the 
  visitors 
  to 
  the 
  longest 
  tongues. 
  The 
  calyx 
  fur- 
  

   ther 
  tends 
  to 
  exclude 
  short 
  tongues 
  by 
  clasping 
  the 
  petals 
  

   and 
  holding 
  them 
  so 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  easily 
  forced 
  apart. 
  

   Then 
  the 
  banner 
  is 
  strengthened 
  by 
  three 
  longitudinal 
  folds 
  

   a 
  median 
  one 
  where 
  it 
  clasps 
  the 
  wing 
  and 
  keel 
  petals, 
  

   and 
  two 
  lateral 
  ones 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  lobes 
  being 
  reflexed 
  

   upon 
  the 
  central 
  portion. 
  The 
  banner 
  thus 
  forcibly 
  resists 
  

   any 
  upw^ard 
  pressure. 
  On 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  depth 
  of 
  the 
  calyx 
  

   and 
  the 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  rigidity 
  of 
  the 
  petals, 
  only 
  the 
  largest 
  

   and 
  strongest 
  bees 
  can 
  force 
  their 
  way 
  in. 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  

   visited 
  \rQ,xy 
  abundantly 
  for 
  honey 
  and 
  pollen 
  by 
  Bomhus 
  

   americanorum 
  F. 
  5 
  . 
  I 
  know 
  of 
  no 
  other 
  flower 
  in 
  my 
  neigh- 
  

   borhood 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  depend 
  so 
  exclusively 
  on 
  a 
  single 
  

   species 
  of 
  humble 
  bee. 
  Once 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  butterfly, 
  Callidryas 
  

   eubule 
  L., 
  thrusting 
  its 
  proboscis 
  under 
  the 
  banner, 
  but, 
  al- 
  

   though 
  it 
  could 
  reach 
  the 
  nectar, 
  it 
  w^ould 
  be 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  

   certain 
  to 
  touch 
  the 
  anthers 
  or 
  stigma. 
  

  

  Psoralea^Onobrychis 
  Nutt.'— 
  The 
  plants 
  grow 
  in 
  large 
  

   patches 
  and^bear 
  many 
  racemes 
  of 
  blue 
  flowers, 
  w^hich 
  are 
  

   very 
  attractive 
  to 
  bees. 
  Greenish 
  lines 
  on 
  the 
  banner 
  form 
  

   path-finders. 
  The 
  wings 
  and 
  keel 
  are 
  depressed 
  together, 
  

   and 
  return 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  stamens. 
  The 
  stigma 
  is 
  raised 
  

   considerably 
  above 
  the 
  anthers 
  and 
  so 
  strikes 
  the 
  bee 
  in 
  ad- 
  

  

  *On 
  this 
  species 
  see 
  Foerste 
  : 
  Box. 
  Gaz., 
  XIII, 
  152. 
  

  

  