424 



ANGIOSPERMAE—MONOCOTYLEDONES 



Herm. Miiller, ' Fertlsn.,' p. 547, ' Alpenblumen,' pp. 56-9; Knuth, ' Bloemenbiol. 



Bijdragen.') — The plants of this species occur in two forms : — (a) parviflorus J. Gay, 



with smaller, usually white flowers, and 

 stigmas shorter than, or the same length as 

 the stamens; (b) grandiflorus J. Gay, with 

 larger, white (or in garden plants violet, 

 heliotrope, or striped) flowers, with stigmas 

 usually longer than the stamens. The first 

 form can therefore pollinate itself towards 

 the end of anthesis, but this only takes 

 place exceptionally in the second form. 



The access to the nectar secreted by 

 the ovary is only possible to the long, thin 

 proboscis of a lepidopterid, as the long, 

 narrow corolla-tube is almost entirely filled 

 by the style. Vertical hairs situated at the 

 place where the filaments diverge, serve to 

 protect the nectar, which fills the tube so far 

 up, that long-tongued humble-bees can suck 

 the uppermost part of it. 



The stigmas are at first concealed 

 between the filaments, so that only the 

 pollen-covered anthers are touched by visi- 

 tors. The stigmas project later on, so that 

 crossing is effected by insect-visits. Should 

 such visits 'fail, automatic self-pollination 

 takes place. Kerner says that the anthers 



turn outwards towards the end of anthesis, while the perianth tube and anthers 



elongate to such an extent, that the latter brush against the edges of the stigmas 



and effect pollination. 



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

 stated. — 



Herm. MiiUer (Alps), 3 Lepidoptera, 2 humble-bees, a beetle, and a hover-fly. 

 Ricca, bees, humble-bees, and Lepidoptera. Knuth (on garden plants, 29. 3. '94 

 and 21.3. '96), the honey-bee, freq., actively po-cltg. Appel (Gossensass, April, 

 1898), several humble-bees ; (Val di Ledro, 14 days later) extremely numerous bees 

 flying from flower to flower (recorded in a letter to Knuth). Alfken (Bremen), the 

 bee Podalirius acervorum L. t>. Friese (Innsbruck), the bee Osmia bicolor Schr. 5, 

 po-cltg. ; (Mecklenburg), the bee Podalirius acervorum Z., freq., po-cltg. Burkill 

 (Yorkshire coast), the honey-bee, skg. and po-cltg. ; by great efforts it seemed to 

 reach the surface of the nectar (' Fertlsn. of Spring Fls.'). Heinsius (Holland), 

 the bee Anthophora pilipes F. J, skg., and the humble-bee Bombus terrester L. §, 

 po-cltg. (Bot. Jaarb. Dodonaea, Ghent, iv, 1892, pp. 117-18). 



2671. C. reticulatus Steven (= C. variegatus Hoppe el Horn). — 



Visitors. — Schletterer observed 6 bees at Pola. — 



I. Eucera longicomis Z. : 2. Halictus calceatus Scop.; 3. H. malachurus K.; 



Fig. 390. Crocus vernus, AU. (after Herm. 

 Miiller). A. Flower after removal of half the 

 perianth (natural size). B. The three stigmas. 

 C Section through part of the nectarK:over, and 

 a filament where it becomes separate from the 

 perianth (x 7). 



