These leaves
respond slowly to vibration, just as the sensitive pea's do. In
spite of their names, neither produces the butterfly-shaped
(papilionaceous) blossom of true peas. The partridge pea bears
from two to four showy flowers together, each measuring an inch
or more across, on a slender pedicel from the axils. It fully
expands only four of its five bright yellow petals; they are
somewhat unequal in size, the upper ones, with touches of red at
the base, as pathfinders, not, however, as nectar-guides, since
no sweets are secreted here. Curiously enough, both right and
left hand flowers are found upon the same plant; that is to say,
the sickle-shaped pistil turns either to the right or the left.
One lateral petal, instead of being flexible and spread like the
rest, stands so stiffly erect and incurved that it commonly
breaks on being bent back. Why? The pistil, it will be noticed,
points away from the ten long black anthers. Obviously, then, the
flower cannot fertilize itself. Its benefactors are bumblebee
females and workers out after pollen.
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