ENTOMOPHILOUS FLOWERS 



131 



distance by the moths that visit them. The strong 

 aromatic odour of moth-flowers becomes specially 

 noticeable towards evening, while during the day it 

 may be wholly or partially wanting. Moth-flowers 

 open exclusively, or at any rate chiefly, after dark. 

 Butterfly-flowers with deeply-concealed nectar within 

 a long corolla-tube are invariably vertical, as rangan 

 and nishinde (Vitex negundo). In nishinde (fig. 115) 

 the flowers are vertical, with a large odd petal of 

 horizontal attitude {a) forming 

 a platform for butterflies to 



upon, which carry the 



. 115. — Nishinde or Inchu 

 ( r'/Vf.v itesiindo) 



alight 



pollen-grains of one flower to 

 the stigma of another flower, 

 and thus cross-pollinate them. 

 fasminum (juin, bela), rajani- 

 gandha, sheuli, and hasna- 

 hana are moth-flowers which 

 open at nightfall or at the 

 approach of night, and then 

 emit a strong aromatic odour. 

 These flowers are all white, with 

 spreading corolla -limbs and 

 long corolla-tubes with deeply concealed nectar. In 

 Jasmiiium the style is longer than the filaments, with a 

 knee-like bend in the middle. The stigma lies at the 

 mouth of the tube, while the anthers lie included with- 

 in the tube. Further, the thick stigma, while mature, 

 curves towards the corolla and comes in contact with 

 it when the style is touched at the bend, — an evident 

 arrangement for crossing. Nauseous flowers, men- 

 tioned in the last chapter, usually open in the evening, 

 like moth-flowers, and are visited by carrion-flies and 

 other night-roving insects. Some of these flowers have 

 pitfall arrangements, as ghetkachu, ol, and kachu. 



