ORCHIS. 219 



as the Turks in Constantinople, or the Persians in 



Ispahan. 



And yet the wholesome herb D6glected dies ; 

 Though with the pure exhilarating soul 

 Of nutriment and health, and vital powers, 



Beyond the search of art, 'tis copious blest. 



Thomson". 



In the long list of the English names for this 

 plant, as recorded by our early writers on plants, 

 none are admissible before the time of Parkinson 

 (1640), who adds to the nomenclature that of 

 Standle-wort, which seems derived from one of the 

 old German or Dutch names for the Orchis, the 

 former being Stendelwiirtz, and the latter Standle- 

 cruyt. In 1657, Coles writes the name of King- 

 fingers for this plant, in addition to those of the 

 former herbalists. 



The florists have not proved more negligent in 

 cultivating these curious plants than the botanists 

 have been anxious to collect the different species of 

 them from all quarters of the known world ; and 

 from their exertions we now possess upwards of 

 eighty distinct species, besides numerous varieties 

 of several of the kinds. 



Modern arrangement divides this family of plants 

 into different genera, under the heads of Orchis, 

 Satyrium, Ophrys, Habenaria, Gymnadenia, Her- 

 mirum, Aceras, Goody era, Bartholina, Serapias, 

 Disa, Pterygodium, Neottia, Ponthieva, Diuris, 

 Thelymitra, Listera, Epipactis, Pogonia, Calade- 



L 2 



