. Handbook of flower pollination : based upon Hermann Mu?ller's work 'The fertilisation of flowers by insects' . Fertilization of plants. i86 ANGIOSPERMAE—DICOTYLEDONES 664. Veronica L. Flowers blue in colour, more rarely red or white; with concealed nectar secreted by a disk below the ovary, and stored in the lower part of the short corolla-tube. The larger blossoms are usually homogamous or dichogamous hover-fly flowers, the stamens and style serving as an alighting-platform. Kerner says that geitogamy takes place in species with a spicate inflorescence. 2111. V. Chamaedrys L. (Sprengel, 'En
. Handbook of flower pollination : based upon Hermann Mu?ller's work 'The fertilisation of flowers by insects' . Fertilization of plants. i86 ANGIOSPERMAE—DICOTYLEDONES 664. Veronica L. Flowers blue in colour, more rarely red or white; with concealed nectar secreted by a disk below the ovary, and stored in the lower part of the short corolla-tube. The larger blossoms are usually homogamous or dichogamous hover-fly flowers, the stamens and style serving as an alighting-platform. Kerner says that geitogamy takes place in species with a spicate inflorescence. 2111. V. Chamaedrys L. (Sprengel, 'Entd. Geh.,' p. 51; Herm. Miiller, 'Fertilisation,' pp. 438-9, 'Alpenblumen,' p. 272, 'Wait. Beob.,' Ill, p. 31; Kirchner, 'Flora v. Stuttgart,' pp. 586-7; Loew, ' Bliitenbiol. Floristik,' p. 391; Knuth, 'Bl. u. Insekt. a. d. nordfr. Ins.,' pp. iii, 164, 'Bloemenbiol. Bijdragen.')— This species bears homogamous hover-fly flowers, arranged in tolerably conspicuous racemes. The corolla is bright blue, decorated with darker lines and a lighter centre. Nectar is secreted by a fleshy yellow hypogynous disk, and covered by hairs lining the corolla-tube, these serving as a protection against rain. The style is. Fig. 293. Veronica Chamaedrys, Z-. (^A after Herm. Miiller ; B, C, D from nature). A. Flower seen from the front. B. Do., with the stamens drawn together, as done by a hover-fly. C. Do., with a visitor (Ascia podagrica), which has drawn the stamens under its abdomen. D. Pistil and nectary (X3). directed obliquely downwards, and the two stamens diverge laterally, automatic self-pollination being therefore impossible, although stigma and anthers mature simultaneously. The lower corolla-lobe is the most convenient alighting-platform, so that when an insect settles it must first touch the stigma with its ventral surface. The visitor then seizes the thin bases of the filaments, which are easily drawn together, and its under-side is thus dusted afresh with pollen. In further visits
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