. The American botanist : a monthly journal for the plant lover. Plants; Plants -- United States. THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 51 or spur that bears nectar at the farther end. In the helle- bore the petals are short, tubular and two lipped. In the Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra), of the fumitory family, the two petals are large and sac-shaped (fig. 14. h). APPENDAGES TO THE PETALS. As we have seen, many, perhaps all, the transformed petals are concerned in secreting nectar. Of the same na- ture, also, are many of the appendages possessed by pet- als, such as the scale on the claw of the buttercup pet
. The American botanist : a monthly journal for the plant lover. Plants; Plants -- United States. THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 51 or spur that bears nectar at the farther end. In the helle- bore the petals are short, tubular and two lipped. In the Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra), of the fumitory family, the two petals are large and sac-shaped (fig. 14. h). APPENDAGES TO THE PETALS. As we have seen, many, perhaps all, the transformed petals are concerned in secreting nectar. Of the same na- ture, also, are many of the appendages possessed by pet- als, such as the scale on the claw of the buttercup petal (fig. 15 b) and the appendages in the corolla of the water leaf {Hydrophyllum). Other appendages, however, are manifestly for different purposes. The scales in the throat of the corolla of certain borrage-worts, notablv comfrey {Symphytum), forget-me-not {Myosotis) and' hound's- tong\xt{Cynoglossum) are certainly for keep- ing small insects away }from the nectar and pollen, and the folded appendages between the petals of certain Fig. 15. a Crown on petal of pink, b gentians are doubtless scale on petal of buttercup, c one of the for the same purpose. Jive lobes with its horn from the milkweed Other appendages of ^^"^^'"' like nature maybe seen in the outgrowths from the petals of many catch-flys {Si- lene) at the juncture of claw and blade, (fig. 15 a) and in the narcissus where it forms a deep or shallow cup. To such structures the name oicrown is given. In the milk- weed family {Asclepias) the crown (fig. 15 c) is usually * the most noticable part of the flower, the petals and se- pals being more plainly colored and reflexed. Instead of a crown or scales in the throat of the corolla many plants bear tufts of hair or wool. It is a singular indication of the use of such outgrowths to find that when the flowers are upright and likely to be visited by insects from any direction, all the petals bear this tuft of hairs; but in species with flowers facing sidewise, only
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