The Viper's Bugloss 



flowers above them ; then one, or possibly two, blue, 

 fully opened flowers ; behind these, fading flowers ; 

 and back of all, down near the stem, are a number 

 of rough green calices persisting long after the 

 delicate petals have vanished, and protecting the 

 four little nutlets they enclose. Owing to the 

 curling of the stem each flower as it comes to the 

 zenith of its day is pushed forward, and presented 

 most prominently to the notice of any visiting 

 insects that may be around. 



Now, let us look for a moment at one of the 

 flowers on its " day." Five rough sepals with stout 

 ribs build up the calyx and give support to the 

 petals ; the petals, five altogether, are joined to 

 form an irregular tube, with two lobes projecting 

 above, one lobe on either side, and one rather receding 

 below. Right beyond the edge four stamens thrust 

 themselves ; they have crimson filaments and the 

 tiniest of dark heads ; one stamen, much shorter 

 than the rest, hides within the tube ; they are all 

 fastened alike to the corolla tube just where it 



III 



