197 



The shoots may remain for a few years in a vegetative 

 condition before they flower. 



According to Lindmark the youngest fohage-leaves remain 

 green during the winter; on the flowering shoots, either the 

 greater part, or all of the fohage-leaves of tlie previous year 

 are brown and dead. Of the rejuvenating shoots, some may 

 come into flower soon after the parent shoot itself flowers. 



The flower. I myself only examined material from Spitz- 

 bergen and Denmark. The diameter of the flower from Spitz- 



B CÙ 'b 



Fig. 18. Saxifraga Hirculus L. 



A, A flowering plant (almost nat. size) from Spitzbergen (July 7, 1882; A. G. Nathorst). 



B, Part of a flowering plant from Denmark (almost nat. size); a, dead runner; b. e, liv- 



ing runners. C, Apex of the living runner c. (Drawn by E. W.) 



bergen is, in its staminate stage 10—15 mm., in its pistillate 

 stage, 13"5 — 1 8 mm. (Andersson and Hesseoian), and from Nova 

 Zenibla 12 — 25 mm. (Ekstam). 



The petals are bright yellow with lemon-coloured dots, 

 and have at their base a peculiar swelling on each side (Fig. 19 C). 

 They are 2—3 times longer than the sepals. 



Scent. The flower is scentless, and honey does not ap- 

 pear to be secreted, "unless perhaps in very small quantities 

 at the base of the stamens or in the folds of the two protu- 

 berances at the base of the petals" (Ekstam). 



Pro tand ry. The flower is markedly protandrous, as is 



