ii ' umbellifer^ 207 



Eryngitjm 



Whitish or amethystine protandrous flowers with 

 concealed honey, which is secreted by a ten-rayed disk 

 at the base of the flower. The bracts are coloured, and 

 add considerably to the conspicuousness of the flowers. 

 The close flower-heads and stiff spiny leaves give the 

 plants some resemblance to a thistle, for which, indeed, 

 they are often taken. We have two species — one 

 common on our coasts ■ — E. maritimum, with the 

 scales of the receptacle three-lobed, and the leaves with 

 plaited and rounded lobes ; the second, E. campestre, 

 which is very local and not a true 

 native, has the leaves pinnately 

 divided, with pinnatifid lobes. 



E. maritimum (Sea Holly). — 

 The spiny leaves and bracts form 

 an effective protection. The petals i 2 



(Fig. 144) are turned down in a fig. 144—1, Petal seen in 

 long lobe, which with the filaments ^^l^ P|*tg - f™" 

 close the opening of the flower, 



though they are easily pushed on one side by the pro- 

 boscis of an insect. The proboscis must, however, have 

 a length of 4 mm. to reach the honey. 



E. campestre. — The arrangement of the flower agrees 

 closely with that of the Sea Holly. 



BUPLEURXJM 



This genus is somewhat peculiar, having entire leaves 

 with parallel veins, but the flowers and fruit resemble 

 those of other Umbellifers. The flowers are yellow. 

 AVe have four species. B. rotundifolium has perfoliate 

 leaves, which perhaps prevent creeping insects from 

 obtaining access to the flowers ; B. falcatum is a 

 perennial, with grass-like leaves. Of the other two, 

 B. tenuissimum has very minute bracts, while in B. 

 aristatum the bracts are longer than the flowers. The 

 flowers are protandrous. The leaves are adapted to 



