Wild Flowers as They Grow 



Passing from the beauty of its outward semblance, 

 let us go on to discover why it deserves Darwin's 

 encomium. Of course, it is to the flowers that he 

 specially alludes, and since they are so distinguished 

 it is worth a little pains to understand them and 

 a lens to read them with greater distinctness. There 

 are three narrow, spreading, coloured sepals outside, 

 then three red petals — two small and standing up 

 to form a hood over the centre of the flower, and 

 one very large in proportion hanging down. This 

 large one is divided into three lobes, and is known 

 as the " lip," or " labellum." On this hp are two 

 strongly marked ridges which, widely apart at the 

 middle of the lip, converge into the centre, so that 

 anything passing between them is led straight into 

 the very heart of the flower. The back part of the 

 labellum is fashioned into a very long spur or pocket. 



Now, take a lens and look into the centre of 



the blossom. Under the petal hood is a short, thick 



column which represents the filament of the one 



stamen and the column from the ovary joined 



62 



