I go 



ANGIOSPERMAE—DICOTYLEDONES 



2115. V. Anagallis L. (MacLeod, Bot. Jaarb. Dodonaea, Ghent, v, 1893, 

 p. 34^.) — MacLeod says that automatic self-pollination is easily possible in this 

 species. 



Visitors.— The following were recorded by the observers, and for the localities 

 stated. — 



Heinsius (Belgium), the hover-fly Syritta pipiens L. Loew (Silesia), the hover- 

 fly Helophilus lineatus F., skg. Herm. Miiller (Thuringia), an Empid (Empis livida 

 L., skg.), a Muscid (Anthomyia sp., skg.), 2 hover-flies (sp. of Ascia and Syritta, skg. 

 and po-dvg.), and an ant (Lasius niger Z., nect-lkg.) (' Weit. Beob.,' Ill, p. 33). 



Warnstorf (Verb. bot. Ver., Berlin, xxxviii, 1896) describes the variety b. aquaiica 

 L. as protogynous. The stamens project a little beyond the stigma, to which the 

 dehiscing anthers are applied, so that self-pollination easily takes place. The pollen- 

 grains are white in colour, ellipsoidal, beset with small tubercles, up 10 50 /a long and 

 20 /i broad. 



Beccabunga L. (Herm. Muller, ' Fertilisation,' pp. 439-41, 'Weit. 

 33; Kirchner, 'Flora v. Stuttgart,' p. 588; Knuth, ' Bloemenbiol. 



2116. V. 



Beob.,' m, p. 



Fig. 295. Veronica Beccabunga, L. {^'i^^^ '^^'^'^- MUUer). (l) Flower seen 

 obliquely from above. (2) Corolla after removal of the stamens, seen directly 

 from the front. (3) Pistil and nectary, seen from the side, a, sepals; b, corolla; 

 c, 61anients; d, ovary; e, style; f, stigraa : ^, nectary; h, nectar-cover, (i & 2, 



■< 3 ; 3, X 7.) 



Bijdragen.') — The 

 dark sky-blue flowers 

 of this species are pro- 

 togynous, and agree 

 with V. Chamaedrys 

 as regards secretion 

 and concealment of 

 nectar. They expand 

 in the sunshine to 

 form a flat surface, 

 from which the sta- 

 mens diverge upwards and outwards, the anthers being at a distance from the 

 stigma when they dehisce. During unfavourable weather the flowers remain half- 

 closed, and the dehisced anthers keep in contact with the stigma, so that automatic 

 self-pollination takes place. 



Visitors. — The following were recorded by the observers, and for the localities 

 stated. — 



Knuth (Holstein, Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Thuringia) and Herm. Muller 

 (Westphalia) describe 2 hover-flies (Syritta pipiens Z., and Ascia podagrica Z.) as 

 the most important visitors. The account given by Muller of their behaviour has 

 been quoted elsewhere (Vol. L P- 136), and in regard to the present species he 

 speaks as follows : ' The most abundant visitor is a small species of Syrphidae, 

 Syritta pipiens L. ; hovering backwards and forwards in its jerky flight before the 

 flowers, it suddenly alights on one ; sometimes it settles on the projecting style and 

 stamens, which bend beneath its weight, and creeps forward a step or two in order to 

 thrust its proboscis (3 mm. long) into the tube (i mm.) ; sometimes it alights on the 

 anterior or one of the lateral petals, and pulls down one of the stamens with its fore- 

 feet until it can reach the pollen with its proboscis. It thus brings various parts of 

 its body in contact with the anthers and stigma, and performs sometimes cross- 

 fertilization, sometimes self-fertilization. Most usually cross-fertilization results, for 

 the insect alighting on the projecting style and stamens usually touches the stigma 



