in.] CALTHA, HELLEBORUS, ANEMONE. 51 



insects would cease to visit the flowers before the 

 stigma had attained maturity, and had thus become 

 susceptible of fertilisation. 



Like Clematis, T halictrum produces no honey. The 

 petals are absent, and the sepals minute, but the 

 stamens are numerous and brightly coloured. 



Caltha palustris has large yellow sepals, but no true 

 petals. In the Hellebore also the petals are minute, 

 but secrete honey. The species of this genus are said 

 by Hildebrand to be proterogynous (see p. 24). 



In Anemone ncmorosa the colouring is given not by 

 the corolla, but by the calyx. The flower does not 

 appear to produce honey, but bees are said to pierce 

 the base of the flower, and lick the sap. 



Delphinium (the Larkspur) is a very interesting 

 genus. The D. elatiim (Figs. 51—54) has been well 

 described by H. MiiUer. The five sepals are brightly 

 coloured ; the upper one is produced into a long spur 

 ix X). The two upper petals are also produced into 

 .spurs which lie within the former, and secrete honey. 

 In order to reach this it is necessary for the bee to 

 press its proboscis between the upper and lower petals, 

 through the interval (Figs. 51, 53 ;«). The lower wall 

 of this orifice is in front closed by the lower petals 

 (Figs. 51, 53 pe pe), which are turned upwards and 

 sideways, so as to form the lower wall of the orifice 

 leading to the nectary, and to cover the stamens and 

 pistils. Immediately behind the entrance to the tube, 

 however, these petals contract so as to leave a space (;«). 

 The stamens («) and pistil lie below this space, and as 

 the stamens ripen, they successively raise themselves, 

 and their anthers pass through this space, as shown in 



E 2 



