238 , ARUM MACULATUM AND ITS OROSS-FERTILIZATION. 
but, before describing this, we wish to speak as briefly as possible 
of the strange-looking flower which has unrolled itself suddenly 
before us in the course of an hour or two, presenting us with 
the “ge hood, with its sides wide apart, disclosing between 
them the brightly-coloured spadix, and tapering elegantly to a 
sharp point at the tip, which hangs slightly over forwar 
The more essential floral organs are concealed within the 
lower part of the spathe, which never opens, and which for con- 
venience we will term the “bulb.” The spat ne itself is nearly 
always of a pale green, but, like the leaves, it is often spotted, and 
i i d leaf. 
covered as small purple specks in their an aalieek stages, oo 
before ca aioe ats ground. The os op are often very 
handsome objects, and exhibit colouring whic eaves never 
possess. Thus the tip is generally shaded = a "strong vin vinous 
inge ; 
a fine reddish purple, and ‘the extreme edge is nearly always 
growing in moister and more luxurious spots, seri as eine are 
larger, Pate and more tapering towards the poi It seems to 
be a matter of no importance to the plant whether eo opening of 
the spathe faces the — or not, and those growing on a bank often 
face cHeony towards it 
The reproductive organs of the plant are gohan round a 
central column in the bottom of the bulb, and a oe a peculiar 
nature. The ovaries, generally thirty to ‘ny ber, 
lowermost, and as a rule they are white, but scmeaaeae are 
purple at their tips, which are furnished with a small tuft or brush 
of s stigmatic bristles to catch the pollen. A few of the upper 
ovaries are modified and converted into short ee Shortly 
above pens come aay anthers, which are sessile, forty or fifty 
in number, and often of a fine purplish red, though sometimes 
sprog Be ag joo these again, after another short interval, 
ea number of fine, slender, ta apering filaments from } to } in. 
an, white at the base, but often tipped with purple, extending 
outwards and slightly downwards, and situated in the narrowest 
os A 
varies to pale bat yellow. it a partakes ort the same 
colour as the anthers, and those flowers which have it most 
