THE WELCOMES OF THE FLOWERS 



121 



tlie ovary, and curving upward beneath the arch 

 of the flower, with its forked stigma barely pro- 

 truding (B). There are two of the queer stamens, 

 one on each side of the open- 

 ing of the blossom, and situ- 

 ated as shown, their anthers 

 concealed in the hood above, 

 and only their lower extrem- 

 ity appears below, the minute 

 growth near it being one of 

 the rudiments of two former 

 stamens which have become 

 aborted. If we take a flower 

 from the lower portion of the 

 cluster (D), we find that the 

 thread like pistil has been 

 elongated nearly a third of 

 an inch, its forked stigma 

 now hanging directly at the 

 threshold of the flower. The 

 object of this will be clearly 

 demonstrated if we closely 

 observe this bee upon the 

 blossoms. He has now reached the top of the 

 cluster among the younger blossoms. He creeps 

 up the outstretched platform of the flower, and 

 has barely thrust his head within its tube when 



Fig. 4 



