249 



DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA, 



225. MONOTROPA. Bird's-nest. 



Linn. Gen. 214. Juss. 430. FL Br. 440. Lam.t.362. 

 Hypopitys. Dill. Gen. 134. t. 7. 



Nat. Ord. undetermined by Linn., Juss., and DeCandolle, 

 Mo7iotropecE. Nuttall Gen. v. 1. 272. But this still leaves 

 its natural affinity in the dark. It cannot be identified 

 with Ericce, in character or habit : the ingenious Mr. Nut- 

 tall has, however, traced its affinity to Pyrola. The an- 

 thers differ from Erica as widely as those of the Epacri- 

 decB of Brown, and somewhat in the same manner. 



Cal. none. Pet. 10, or 8, inferior, obovate-oblong, erect, 

 parallel ; serrated in the upper part, deciduous ; the 5, or 



4, outermost largest, elongated and concave at the base, 

 bearing honey internally ; 5, or 4, alternate interior ones 

 smallest, tapering and flat at the base. Filam. 10, or 8, 

 erect, linear, flattish, shorter than the corolla ; 5, or 4, 

 alternate ones rather the smallest. Antli. kidney-shaped, 

 erect, of 1 cell and 2 valves. Germ, superior, ovate, with 



5, or 4, furrows. Style cylindrical, short, erect. Stigma 

 orbicular, peltate. Caps, ovate, with 5, or 4, furrows, 

 and as many cells and valves, with a partition from the 

 centre of each valve ; and a spongy central column of as 

 many angles. Seeds very numerous, minute, oval, each 

 enveloped in a membranous reticulated timic, greatly elon- 

 gated at both ends. 



The terminal ^owfr, which in some species is the only one, 

 being decandrous, with 10 petals^ determines the class, as 

 in Adoxa, gen. 222. 



Parasitical herbs, of a pale uniform hue, having a simple, 

 scaly, rather than leafy, stem ,• allied in habit, at least, 

 to Orohanche ; to some of the Orchis tribe in peculiarity 

 of scent, and in seeds. 



1. M. Hypopitys . Yellow Bird's-nest. 



Flowers in a drooping cluster ; lateral ones with eight sta- 

 mens ; terminal one with ten. 



M. Hypopitys. Linn. Sp. PI. 555. IVilld. v. 2. 573. FL Br. 440. 

 Engl.Bot.v.l.t.69. Hook. Lond. 1. 105. Scot.VZo. Relh. 164. 

 FL Dan. t. 232. Ehrh. Phyt. 44. 



