150 WILD FLOWER FAMILIES 
est in its structure because it shows a remarkable 
adaptation to cross-pollination by insects. The 
style of the pistil is developed into a petal-like 
expanse, on the under side of which is the stigma. 
The other parts of the flower are so arranged that 
when a bee comes for nectar it brushes past the 
stigma, leaving pollen upon it. Then it receives 
a new supply of the golden dust to carry to the 
next blossom that it visits. Bumble-bees are the 
most frequent of these visitors, but there are 
also many species of flies and butterflies. If you 
will watch some of the Iris flowers for half an 
hour you can see how the bees get the nectar and 
also how some of the butterflies are able to steal 
this sweetness without pollenizing the stigma. 
BLUE-EYED Grass. The Blue-eyed Grass is 
always a favorite with children as well as with 
many older people. The small violet-blue blos- 
som has a yellow center which, with the chief color 
of the petals, makes what the artists call a com- 
plementary harmony. The plant is not at all a 
grass, belonging rather to the interesting Iris 
family, so that the one who called this Blue-eyed 
Grass “the little sister of the stately Blue Flag ” 
was right. You can easily see the resemblance in 
the mode of growth as well as in the structure of 
the flower. The blossoming period is very short. 
In cloudy or rainy weather the blossoms remain 
closed, opening only in the sunshine. 
