440 ANGIOSPERMAE—MONOCOTYLEDONES 



albipes F. 5, skg. and po-cltg. ; 5. H. cylindricus F. 5, do. ; 6. H. flavipes F. 5, do.; 

 7. H. nitidiusculus K. 5, do. 



2713. G. bracteolaris Salisb. (= G. pratensis Schult.). (Warnstorf, op. cit.) — 

 Wamstorf describes the flowers of this species as feebly protogynous. The stamens 

 are at the same level as the stigma or somewhat lower; when the flower closes 

 (after 5 p.m.) autogamy can easily take place. The pollen-grains are golden-yellow 

 in colour, almost ellipsoidal, up to 90 yu, long and 3 7 /x broad. When treated with 

 sulphuric acid the protoplasmic contents ooze slowly out of one pole. 



Visitors. — Loew (Brandenburg, ' Beitrage,' p. 34) only observed the bee 

 Andrena albicans Miill. S, skg. 



a7i4- G. saxatilis Schult. (Schulz, ' Beitrage.') — This species is also feebly 

 protogynous, and pseudo-cleistogamous autogamy takes place in dull weather. At 

 times no fruits are set. 



2715. G. Liotardi Schult. (Herm. Miiller, ' Alpenblumen,' p. 43.) — The 

 flower mechanism of this species agrees with that of G. fascicularis, but the flowers 

 are homogamous. Autogamy takes place if insect-visits fail, but in sunny weather 

 visitors are numerous. 



Visitors. — Herm. I\Iuller observed 3 Hymenoptera, 17 Diptera, 2 Lepidoptera, 

 and Thrips. 



2716. G. spathacea Salisb. — 



Visitors. — Alfken (Bremen) observed 4 bees — i. Andrena albicans Miill. 5; 

 2. A. parvula K. 5 and S ; 3. Halictus minutus -ff". 5 ; 4. Nomada fabriciana L. S. 



873. Fritillaria L. 



Large, protogynous flowers with concealed nectar secreted by the perianth- 

 leaves. Sometimes inclined to andromonoceism (F. imperialis L., and F. atropur- 

 purea). 



2717. F, Meleagris L. (Knuth, Humboldt, Stuttgart, vi, 1887, p. 393, viii, 

 1889, p. 355; Loew, ' Bliitenbiol. Floristik,' p. 353.) — I was able to examine the 

 mechanism and visitors of the beautiful flowers of this species in Wulfshagen near 

 Gettorf, where they grow in thousands in a meadow. Loew describes the large, 

 pendulous flower-bell as being 37 mm. long and 20 mm. broad; it is contracted 

 below into an ovoid shape. It is here commonly called ' plover's egg ' (' snake's- 

 head ' in England), on account of its shape, size, and marking. There are small 

 light- and dark-purple squares on a white-reddish background, arranged in vertical 

 and horizontal rows. I rarely found flowers which were pure white in colour, or had 

 purple spots on the flower stalk. The inner parts of the flower are protected from 

 rain by its pendulous position, and the close apposition of the perianth leaves. 

 Nectar is secreted in a longitudinal groove on each perianth leaf, beginning about 

 8 mm. above the base of the leaf and continuing as a shallow furrow almost to its 

 tip. At Wulfshagen the flowers were protogynous ; Loew found the same to be the 

 case in cultivated specimens in the Berlin Botanic Garden. The stigmatic papillae 

 are developed when the flower opens, while the anthers are still closed. 



Kerner states that if cross-pollination does not take place during the five days of 

 anthesis, autogamy is effected as a last resort. One of the six stamens then usually 



