The Hairy St. John's Wort' 



the same length as the ovary columns. All the 

 stamens do not ripen together, but the shortest and 

 outermost set free their pollen first, then the median 

 and the medium-sized ones, and, finally, just be- 

 fore the flower withers, the innermost long ones. 

 These turn to the centre, and their pollen necessarily 

 falls on the ovary columns by their side, and hence 

 will fertilise them, if that has not already been 

 done by pollen from other flowers. Fertilisation 

 completed, the columns wither and drop off, and 

 the fruit forms as a three celled capsule containing 

 many little seeds, which have to trust to the 

 wind to jerk them ultimately out of their home. 



St. John's Worts are to be found in flower from 

 the end of June to October, and they are classed 

 in a small family — the HypericinecB. 



69 M5 



