404 DB. M. T. MASTERS 0:S THE PLOEATi 



r 



parts in the generality of Orcliids, may be useful for coinparlson. 

 Letters in italics indicate parts that are generally absent, but 

 which are potentially, and sometimes actually, present. 



L 



Co^^rOEMATION OE CYPKlPEniCM:. 



In an ordinary Ci/pri_pedium flower, as seen in the adult con- 

 dition, there are three sepals, the median one free, the two lateral 

 ones not only concrescent, so as to form in appearance a single 

 sepal, but removed from their typical lateral position into a 

 median one opposite to the median sepal. The result is that the 

 flower appears to have a two-parted calyx, the significance oi 

 which will become apparent when the details to be hereafter 

 giyen are considered. The corolla, or inner row of the perianth, 

 consists of two lateral petals, and of one median labellum or hp, 

 usually bag-shaped and differing greatly in appea.rance from the 

 lateral petals. 



The androecium is composed of one median stamen dilated mto 

 abroad shield-like staminode, and of two lateral fertile stamens 

 within the preceding. The gynsecium consists of an mierior 

 ovary, distinctly 3-celled in Selenipedium, but 1-celled with three 

 parietal placentas in other Cypripedia. One Bract. 



of the three carpels is median, in the same line g^ 



as the median staminode, the other two carpels p^ p^ 



being lateral and superposed to the lateral ^ 



sepals. The styles are concrescent with the a2 



stamens into a column, the apparently solitary Qj 



stigma being developed in the median line, q^ q^ 



superposed to the staminode. 



Thus the largest sepal Si, the largest petal j^ j^ 



Ps, the staminode X , and the stigma G are all -p^ 



in the median plane of the flower. This arrange- g._^ ga 



ment may be expressed by the accompanying 

 plan. Axis. 



The points specially worthy of note are the piagrammatlc 



lip, the androecium, and the cjyn^cium. In the illustrauou o » 



arrangement "' 



development of the flower, acccording to Crliger*, x\\q parts of the 

 irregularity first shows itself in the median flower m CyP^^ 



petal which develops itself into the lip. ^ 



As to the androecium, the generally accepted view is that whic 

 3?. Brown originally propounded (but which he subsequently 

 modified). According to this view the large staminode is 



* JourD. Linn. Soc. Bot. vol. yiii. p. 134, t. 9. 



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