But the
spring beauty, the rue-anemone, bloodroot, toothwort, and the
first blue violet (palmata) among other early spring flowers,
have not been slow to take advantage of the light either. Fierce
competition, therefore, rages among them to secure visits from
the comparatively few insects then flying - a competition so
severe that the adder's tongue often has to wait until afternoon
for the spring beauty to close before receiving a single caller.
Hive-bees, and others only about half their size, of the Andrena
and Halictus clans, the first to fly, the Bombylius frauds, and
common yellow butterflies, come in numbers then. Guided by the
speckles to the nectaries at the base of the flower, they must
either cling to the stamens and style while they suck, or fall
out. Thus cross-fertilization is commonly effected; but in the
absence of insects the lily can fertilize itself. Crawling
pilferers rarely think it worthwhile to slip and slide up the
smooth footstalk and risk a tumble where it curves to allow the
flower to nod - the reason why this habit of growth is so
popular.
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