530 



CXL. ORCHIDACE^. Liparis. 



Ova i-ceUed, with 3 parietal placenta. Ofuto indefinite.. -.„.<.,. ^ „,„„„ 

 sTv consolidated with the stamens. Stiff, a viscid cavi y in front of the column. 

 F/- -Capsule 3-nbbed, 3-valved. Stto. many, without albumen. 



Genera 394 species 3000 1 They are among the most interesting and cunous of plante, almost always 

 rema?kS)Ie for ?he grotesque form of their tortuous rooUand stems, and the tragrance, brilbancy and odd 



''Tlirorciidace*^^ arTnatives of every part of the world. In the tropics multitudes of them are epiph- 



"l^hrordeTirri'Sable for S'qualiUes only which please the eye. Many of its spec.es are culti- 

 ^-aS fo^ina^en^ but few of them possess either active or useful properties The salep oi commerce 

 ??a nutritive mucilaginous substance aftbrded by the roots ot some Asiatic Orchis The aromatic la- 

 ni?/a,S to fevorcLcolate, &c., is the fruit of the West Indian Vamlla claviculata. 

 Conspectus of the Genera. 



Jcauline. . . Microstylis. 1 



Uvafe, J radical. . . Aviectrum. 4 



r Leaf solitary, (ensitbrm (rarely 2). . . Calopogon. 10 



( near base of stem. . . Lipans. 2 



! Leaves 2 only, ( near middle of stem. . . Listera. 13 



i I radical, Uingent. . . Goodyera. 12 



(Flowers I ^, Sepals ^ erect. . . Spiranthes. 11 



^several. (.Leaves several, (cauline. Fls. 3or4. . . Calopogon. 10 



rSpui 0.( Flower soliuiry, lip bearded within. . . . . Pfjgonia. 9 



' t Pollinia 2. Fls. bracteate . Ordus. 7 



(Fertile i tflattish. i Pollinia 4. Fls. bractless. . . Tipifnria. 6 



Leaves l \ anth. l. I Lip spurred at base, \ veiUricose. . Flower and leal solitary. . ^^^'^f^- ^ 



or more. ( Anthers 2 fertile, middle one sterile, petaloid. Lip saccate. . . . Cypripedium. 14 



S Plants green. Flowers solitary. Lip bearded within Arethusa 8 



Leaves 0. d Plants destitute of green herbage. Flowers racemose LoraUor/iiza. 3 



Section 1. Pollen cohering in grains which, finally become waxy, 

 and are definite in number. 



1. MlCROSTt'LIS. Nutt. 



Gr. [iiKpoi, little, (TTv'Xos, style; alluding to the slender column. 



Segments of the perianth distinct, petals filiform ; lip sessile, 

 concave, erect, truncate and bidentate at summit ; column minute ; 

 pollinia 4, loose. 



1. M. opHioGLOssoiDEs. Nutt. (Malaxis orph. Willd. M. rmitblia. 

 Michx.)—Lf. solitary, ovate, amplexicaul; s<. 5-angled; roc. short, obtu.se, 



capitate ; pedicels much longer than tlie flowers.— A small plant, in woods, &c., 

 Can. and N. States. Stem 5—9' high, with a single leaf a little below the 

 middle. This leaf is rather acute, smooth, ovate or oval, about 2|' in length, 1 

 in width. At the base of the stem is an abrupt sheath. Flow^ers whitish, 

 minute, numerous, in a terminal raceme an inch or more in length, den.se at 

 top. Bracts minute. Pedicels about 4" long. June, 



2. M. MONOPHYi-Los. Lindl. (M. brachypoda. Gray. Malaxis mon. 

 Willd.)— Leaf solitary, ovate, sheathing at base; rac. elongated, with 



numerous flowers "on short pedicels; bracts minute ; scp. acute, spreading; late- 

 ral pet. reflexed, linear ; Up triangular-hastate, cucullate, acuminate with a 

 recurved point. — In shady swamps, N. Y., rare. Prof. Hadky. Dr. Gray. Stem 

 2 — 6' high, 3-angled, with a subspicate raceme of 20 — 40 small, greenish 

 flowers. July. 



2. LIPARIS. Rich. 



Gr. \nTapoi, elegant, .shining ; a term characteristic of these plants. 



Segments of the perianth distinct, sublinear, spreading or deflex- 

 ed ; lip spreading, flat, ascending, often exterior ; column winged ; 

 pollinia 4, parallel with each other, without pedicels or glands. 



1. L. LiLiFOLiA. Rich. (Malaxis lilifolia. Sir.) Tn-ay-hladc. 



Lvs. 2, ov^nte-lanceolate ; scape triangular; i/iuer pcf. filiform, reflexed; 

 lip concave, obovate, acute at the tip. — In wet woods, Can. to Car., Ohio. 

 Leaves radical, 3— G' long, \ — ^ as wide, rather acute, tapering into a sheath- 

 ing base. Scape about «' high. Flowers 10 — 20, in a terminal, rather showy 

 raceme. Pedicels near an inch in length. The 3 sepals greeni.sh-white, linear. 

 2 upper petals capillary, yellowish-white. Lip much larger than the other 

 petals, white. June. 



