52 MEDICAL BOTANY. 
ORCHIDACES. 
LINDLEY. 
ORCHIDS. 
Orcnipe£.—R. Brown: | 
EssentiaL Cuar.—Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular, variable in form. Perianth adherent, variable, herbaceous 
or coloured, membranous or fleshy, permanent or withering ; the parts in two rows, rarely in three, free or connected 
in various modes, often resupinate from acurve in the ovary. Sepals three, equal at base, or variously expanded there ; 
the two lateral are in front when the ovary is twisted, and the third dorsal, sometimes surrounded by a true calyx. 
Petals mostly three, rarely one, placed between the Sepals; the two lateral like the dorsal sepal, the third variously 
formed and appendaged. Stamens and style consolidated into a central column. Stamens three, opposite the sepals, 
one only fertile, (except in Cypropedium.) _Anthers usually two-celled. Cells divided by 2—4 partitions. Pollen 
powdery, or in grains, or in wedge-like masses; these masses free, or connected to the anther by a caudicle. Ovary 
adherent, one-celled, of six carpels. Style never distinct, (except in Cypropedium.) Stigmas usually confluent ina 
mucous disk. Capsule zarely fleshy, undehiscent, pod-shaped, separating into six dry, rigid valves, with horizontal 
cells, three of which © wads seeds. Seeds usually numerous, minute. (Condensed by Griffith, Med. Bot.) 
This order is extensive, but few are active ; the species of orchis having tuberous roots afford nutrition, of this.the 
plants producing salap are examples. 
ORCHIS MASCULA., 
LINNAUS. 
Sex. Sysr.—Gynandria, Triandria. ? é 
Ge. Cuar.—Flomers galeate. Sepals nearly equal; the upper converging with the petals into a sort of arch ; 
the lateral either converging, or reflexed. Petals erect, of about the same size and form as the upper sepal. Latbel- 
lum anterior, calcarate, entire, or undivided, connate with the base of the column. -Anthers erect with Seep doo 
parallel cells. Pollen masses granular, with two distinct glands enclosed in one common pouch, (or pouch-like fold o 
the stigma.) Terrestrial plants with tubercular roots and soft rather flaccid even leaves. (Lindley. ) ee 
Specir. Cxar.—Tubercles two, at the base of the stem, ovoid, elongated, white, fleshy, beset with fibres, eae 
and cylindrical, constituting the true root. Stem about a foot high, cylindrical, glabrous, simple, tis eg k 
dense spike of purple flowers. Leaves oval, elongated, shining, glabrous, frequently spotted with a purplish- vie ad 
deposit. Flowers large, purple, in an ovoid spike, three inches long, in the axils of lanceolate bracts, some ive 
coloured ; the spur is very nearly the length of the ovary, which is ‘spirally twisted; the lip is in three crenate 
sions, the central one longest, is bilobed. (Richard. oa 
This plant is European, and .. in sd 2 and pastures. The roots are employed to form the ie 
salap in France, of sufficiently good quality to be a substitute for the oriental article. Lindley states that the 
article is most likely to be the product of O. vartegata, O. taurica, and O. militaris, found in Turkey and Persia. eh 
‘Salap is constituted of the bulbs. When a year old they are removed, cleansed, and subjected for a aa gee of 
to the action of boiling water, when they are suspended upon threads and allowed to dry. They are in t ae haste 
rounded masses, the size of a filbert, of a pale, yellowish colour, and having a translucent appearance, eee aes. 
is corneous, hard, and of difficult reduction to powder, which is farinaceous. The odour is faint, ae 
the taste insipid and mucilaginous. They soften in water and partly dissolve; with boiling water, a gelatino 
tion is formed. 2 
They contain fecula and bassorin. The grains of fecula are spherical. 
