SNOWBERRY. . 65 
drupes. Notice that the tubular corolla has the throat bearded 
with dense whitish hairs, probably to prevent any insects 
getting at the nectar except those with long slender trunks, 
such as moths, certain species of which are probably the only 
ones able to fertilise the flowers. The ovary 1s 5-celled. 
Compare also any species of cultivated Heaths (Erica), Rhododen- 
dro, Azalea, or Arbutus—the last remarkable for its handsome strawberry- 
like berry. ie: 
16. Primrose (Primula vulgaris). 
All the leaves are radical or crowded on a very short root- 
stock. The flowers appear to be solitary on scapes, but on 
close examination it will be found that the pedicels are the 
branches of a nearly sessile umbel, which is furnished with a 
few short linear bracts. ‘The flowers are perfectly regular, and 
have a tubular, 5-angled, 5-toothed inferior calyx; a 5-lobed 
salver-shaped corolla (i.e., with a long narrow tube and a 
flat spreading limb); and 5 stamens whose filaments are 
connate with the corolla-tube, so that the anthers appear to 
be nearly sessile. ‘The 1-celled ovary is globular, surmounted 
by a slender style with capitate stigma, and has numerous 
ovules on a free-central placenta. This ovary ripens into a 
capsule dehiscing by 10 teeth, of which no doubt 5 represent 
the dorsal sutures of the carpels, and. 5 the lines of the sup- 
pressed dissepiments. The placenta is relatively very large, 
and the seeds are sunk in cavities on its surface. Hach seed 
has a small straight embryo imbedded in somewhat hard 
endosperm. 
These flowers exhibit a remarkable contrivance whereby 
cross-fertilisation is brought about. If a considerable. number 
of flowers be taken from different plants it will be found that 
they are of two forms (=dimorphic*) which are nearly 
equal in number.| In one series the style is long, so that the 
Fig. 116. Flower of Primrose— Fig. 117. Flower of Primrose — 
long-styled. short-styled. 
* Gr. dis, twice ; morphe, form. 
} As the specimens in a‘garden are often subdivided originally from: 
only one or two plants, it is often the ease that one or other of the forms 
greatly preponderates. | 
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