S8 RESEDACE^, CIS TINE Ai., VIOLACE^. [chap. 



But though the colour, honey, and scent of the 

 Cruciferaa have evident reference to the visits of 

 insects, this order does not offer so many special and 

 specific adaptations as we shall meet with in other 

 groups ; and the majority of species, at any rate, 

 appear to have retained the power of self- fertilisation. 



RESEDACEyE. 



Flowers bisexual, small, greenish, sometimes scented, irregular. 

 Sepals and petals 4-7. Stamens many, inserted on a broad disk. 

 Pistil one, with 2-3 stigmas. 



This order is represented in Britain by one genus. Reseda (the 

 Mignonette), containing three species. In the common garden mign- 

 onette the upper half of the base of the flower raises itself between 

 the stamens and the sepals into a quadrangular, perpendicular plate, 

 which is first yellowish, and after the flower has faded, brown its 

 hinder surface secretes honey. The mignonette is said to be specially 

 frequented by bees of the genus Prosopis, 



CISTINE^. 



This order contains only a single British genus, Helianthenium, with 

 four species. The flowers do not secrete honey. The stamens are 

 numerous. As the pistil projects above them, insects, in alighting on 

 the flower, generally touch the pistil before the stamens ; and cross-fer- 

 tilisalion must therefore often take place. At the same time, if from any 

 cause insect-visits are deferred, the flower is almost sure to fertilise 

 itself. 



VIOLACE.E. 



This order is limited in Europe to the single genus 

 Viola, of which we have, according to Bentham, five 

 English species. Besides the showy, coloured flowers 

 with which we are all familiar, most of the species 

 possess minute flowers, which, however, produce abun- 

 dance of seed. These appear later in the year, 

 and are not only much smaller than the others, 

 but almost without petals. In fact, according to Ben- 

 tham, the Pansy (K tricolor) is the only one of our 



