224 FLORA HISTORICA. 



broad-leaved Hedge Mustard, or London Wild 

 llocket, Sisymbrium Iris, that in many places it 

 might have been mowed like a field of corn. — Mor- 

 rison, Prcolud. But to return to the Fly Ophrys, 

 Ophrys muscifera : without further disputing its 

 being, like the fungus tribe, germinated by the fer- 

 mentation of certain particles of earth combined 

 with water, we are satisfied of its propagation by 

 seed, having, in the summer of 1823, saved the seed 

 from plants which we cultivated. 



That it does not increase by a viviparous nature, 

 like many other bulbs, seems pretty certain, by our 

 not finding any of these plants growing in clusters 

 like the Crocus, Snowdrop, Tulip, or Hyacinth. 

 This plant, like the Meadow Orchis, has two dis- 

 tinct bulbs, united at the top, one of which only 

 sends up a stem ; and during the season that this 

 bulb is nourishing the flowers and seed it becomes 

 shrunk and shrivelled, but the dormant bulb swells 

 and increases in strength, and sends up a flowering 

 stalk the following year, leaving its companion bulb 

 to rest and recruit in its turn. When these bulbs 

 are divided, the plant is sure to perish, — as we have 

 experienced, having taken off the dormant bulb 

 and planted the flowering one in a small pot, where 

 it continued to flourish and produce blossoms ; but 

 on examining the earth in the autumn there was 

 no part of the bulb remaining, whilst those that 



