ti LILIACE^ 423 



POLYGONATUM 



Homogamous bee and humble bee flowers, richly 

 supplied with uectar, which is secreted by septal glands 

 in the ovary. There are three British species ; P. 

 verticillatum has the leaves in whorls ; P. officinale has 

 1 or 2 flowers in each axil, and glabrous filaments ; P. 

 multiflorum, several flowers in each axil and hairy 

 filaments. 



P. verticillatum. — A very rare British plant, only 

 found in woods in Northumberland and Perth. 



P. officinale. — -The flower has the scent of bitter 

 almonds. The flower-tube has a length of 14-17 mm., 

 and is only accessible to humble bees with a long 

 proboscis. No honey is secreted, but the tissues con- 

 tain a sweet sap. The flower is often bitten into by 

 Bombus mastrucatus. A rare plant, found in woods in 

 England. 



P. multiflorum (Solomon's Seal). — This species, on 

 the contrary, is said to secrete honey, though in Sweden 

 Almquist found none. Warnstorf was also unable to 

 find any. Also a rare plant, in woods in England and 

 Scotland. 



CoNVALLARiA (Lily of the Valley) 



Slightly protandrous pollen flowers. The tissues 

 contain a sweet sap, but there is no free nectar. 



0. majalis. — The flowers are drooping, pure white, 

 and very sweet-scented. The pistil projects beyond 

 the anthers. 



Asparagus 



Flowers dicBcious, or rarely complete, and occasionally 

 with intermediate forms. They secrete nectar. 



A. officinalis. — The male flowers, as usual, are larger 

 than the female, and flrst visited by insects. The fruit 

 is a berry, globose, smooth, shining, red, and three-celled 

 with 3-6 seeds. The seeds are large, flattened on the 

 ventral aspect, hard, black, and smooth to the naked 



