11 LILIACE^ 419 



ing to Kirchner, the three outer anthers open, and after- 

 wards the inner ones. In the flowers, however, observed 

 by Kerner the inner stamens opened a day before the 

 outer ones, and this was also the case, with those ex- 

 amined by Knuth. After shedding their pollen the 

 upper half of each stamen bends outwards, while the 

 lower half remains close to the ovary, thus forming 6 

 narrow canals, of which the 3 corresponding to the 

 septal glands are nectariferous. Finally, the stamens 

 turn inwards, and the shorter ones deposit pollen on the 

 stigma. In the afternoon, and in wet weather, the 

 flowers close. 



0. nutans. — The flowers are protandrous ; at first 

 upright, then horizontal, finally hanging. When the 

 bud expands the anthers of the 3 stamens standing in 

 front of the nectaries also open, and in such a position 

 as to be touched by any insect coming for the nectar. 

 Subsequently they bend outwards, the stigma ripens, the 

 other 3 anthers open, and the flower becomes horizontal. 

 P'inally, the flower droops, the anthers contract, and press 

 out the pollen, which falls on the stigma, so that in the 

 absence of insect visits the flower fertilises itself 



0. pyrenaicum occurs in woods in some of our 

 southern counties, and is very common near Bath. It 

 is an undoubted native, whereas the other two species 

 are naturalised in Britain. 



SCILLA 



Flowers generally violet, sometimes white or pink, 

 with free or half-concealed nectar, secreted by glands in 

 the septa of the ovary. We have three species — S^ 

 nutans with hanging, the other two with erect flowers ; 

 S. verna having a bract under each pedicel ; S. autum- 

 nalis without bracts. 



S. nutans (Bluebell). — This beautiful flower often 

 carpets our woods with a sheet of blue, bringing, as 

 Euskin said, the heavens down to earth. It is re- 

 markable that it does not occur in parts of Central 

 Europe, as for instance in Switzerland. 



