140 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



the pedicel) much smaller, but yet very broad and some- 

 what concave ; the 2 innermost (petals) very oblique 

 and irregularly shaped, more or less divided into two 

 unequal lobes." ^ 



The flower-buds are at first above the leaves, which 

 are folded and stand up round them like a screen. As 

 the buds open the flower-stalk grows longer and turns 

 down under the leaf from the axil of which it springs. 

 The leaf flattens itself and fixes the flower-stalk in 

 position by one of the lobes of its heart-shaped base. 

 When expanded, the flower hangs horizontally under 

 its leaf, from which the rain rolls off' as from a roof 



Fio. 82. — Flower of Impatiens Roylei. (The Balsam common in gardens, often sell- 

 sown. ) A, Flower in the first stage. The anthers (a) stand ovei: the entrance 

 to the flower. B, Flower in the second stage. The stigmas [s) are over the 

 entraupe to the flower ; n, nectary. Nat. size. 



The two larger -flowered species are protandrous 

 humble bee flowers. Some of the American species 

 are fertilised by humming-birds. The honey is con- 

 tained in the spur of the hooded sepal. The stamens 

 are short, with very short thick filaments lying against 

 the roof of the flower, so that a humble bee sucking the 

 honey would necessarily dust its back with pollen. The 

 anthers are xipe when the flower opens (Fig. 82, A). 

 At that time the pistil is immature, but it gradually 

 ripens (Fig. 82, B), and the result is that bees can 

 hardly fail to carry the pollen from younger flowers 

 to older ones. • 



/ Noli-me-tangere also produces cleistogamous 



' Befttham, British Flora. 



