CLOVER 
187 
the paths and roads, and is common in the 
fields and pastures. There are in each 
head or flower-cluster from 57 to 89 small 
florets. At first all the florets stand erect, 
but as the marginal ones are pollinated 
they cease to secrete nectar and are bent 
backward and downward against the stem. 
By preventing useless visits this change 
in position is beneficial to both flowers and 
insects. When they expand the flowers are 
white, but they often turn reddish after 
they are reflexed. The calyx is only three 
millimeters long so that not only honeybees, 
act as levers to depress it. The stamens 
and pistil are completely inclosed in the 
keel, and ordinarily are not visible. A bee 
can not collect pollen from white clover as 
it does from a rose, because there is none 
in sight, and it is not directly accessible. 
Bees never visit the flowers for the pur¬ 
pose of gathering only pollen, and one has 
never been observed trying to open the 
keel. 
There are 10 anthers, each of which pro¬ 
duces a small amount of pollen. The fila¬ 
ments unite to form a tube, at the bottom 
White clover blossom—third stage. 
but many other insects are able to reach 
the nectar. Honeybees also often gather 
loads of yellow pollen, altho this is not 
abundant. 
THE POLLINATION OF WHITE CLOVER. 
There are five petals. The upper petal, 
called the standard, is much the largest. 
The two lower petals partly cohere to form 
a sac termed, from its form, a carina or 
keel. The two lateral petals, called the 
aim, or wings, are attached to the keel, and 
of which the nectar is secreted. But the 
superior stamen is free, leaving two small 
openings at the base of the staminal tube 
thru which a bee may insert its tongue to 
obtain the nectar. 
It is manifest at a glance that the indi¬ 
vidual flowers of a white clover head are 
far too small to hold a honeybee. The bee 
clings with its legs to several flowers, and 
only its head rests on the flower from which 
it is sucking nectar. When a bee pushes its 
head beneath the standard, the keel and 
