106 BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS chap. 



tube, which by its length and narrowness is adapted to 

 butterflies. Besides the usual flowers, there are other 

 smaller ones which contain no stamens. It is fertilised 

 by butterflies and moths. It is a weed of cultivation, 

 and, like so many other plants with a similar habit, is 

 annual. Our other species of Lychnis are all perennial 

 or biennial. The seeds are large, black, cuneate reni- 

 form in shape, with elevated points in lines following 

 the curvature of the seed. 



L. Flos-cuculi (Ragged Robin). — The stems are slightly 

 downy below, and viscid above, probably to keep ants 

 from the flowers. The petals are cut into four linear 

 lobes. Why ? The calyx is 6-7 mm. long ; it has 

 teeth some 3 mm. in length, and keeps the corolla 

 together. Honey is secreted by the bases of the 

 stamens. The plant is protandrous, and the five outer 

 anthers ripen first. 



L. Viscaria. — In general arrangements L. Viscaria 

 resembles the preceding species. It is glabrous, but 

 each segment of the stem is very sticky in the upper 

 part, which prevents creeping insects from obtaining 

 access to the flowers. The length of the tube and 

 narrowness of the passage render the flower especially 

 adapted for butterflies. 



L. vespertina. — This species is also viscid, but only 

 slightly so. The flower, which is white, opens in the 

 evening, generally about six o'clock, when also it becomes 

 very sweet. It closes about nine in the morning, be- 

 coming limp and faded, and looking almost dead, till 

 the following evening, though in dark gloomy weather 

 it sometimes remains open all day. The pale colour is 

 probably an advantage, as being the most visible in 

 twilight. These characteristics — white or light yellow 

 colour, and sweetness at night — are characteristic of other 

 species which are specially adapted for fertilisation by 

 moths. The honey is secreted by the base of the ovary. 

 There are three forms of flower — male, female, and 

 hermaphrodite. In the female the tube has a length of 

 20-25 mm. ; in the male, 15-18 mm. The length of the 



