[C15]

(Habits of Bees) Heartease p 33 Heartease Exper Book p 59 Habits

Shrewsbury July 12th /41/ After 6 weeks at Maer & one here constantly at all hours looking at Heartease & never saw Bees go near one; when one day saw Humble at bed & next day saw three each visiting many flowers in 1/4 of hour at same bed, sucking nectar with difficulty inserting tube & doubtless routing pollen— NB. stigma bends down on brush on lower petal in gangway to nectary in getting to which anthers would probably be disturbed.— About three days afterwards I was astonished at finding how many flowers had drooped ⸮ had these Bees impregnated them???? does their long usual permanence of flowers (as in Orchideæ) depend on non-impregnation─ is nectar only rarely secreted?— On same day in other bed bush of wildish heartease, I found several flowers with much pollen scattered over whole lower petal & above & in midst of upper brush wh & pollen could only get there by explosion of anther or by insects:= Again 3 days afterwards saw great Humble at work.—

[C15v]

The pollen of heartease escapes between scales (where even in bud there is open space on summits of anthers, on the lower side in respect to usual position of flower & then rolls down lower petal, on base of which there is brush & on which the stigma nearly rests. So that pollen rolls to stigma but get into cavity (mouth of which lower opens rather on under side) the pollen must ascend a little. This however would probably allow foreign pollen to impregnate it with as much readiness as most monoecious plant. In unopened flower pollen is not ready— Stigma in that state much resembles stigma in quite open flower

Maer Octob (40)