33 



MORMODES luxatum. 



Dislocated Mormodes. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDBIA. 

 Nat. ord. Orchidace^ § Vande^. 

 MORMODES. Supra vol. 22. /o^. 1 86 1 . 



M. luxatum. (See the enumeration further on.) 



The genus Mormodes has so entirely the habit of Catase 

 turn that we have no means of distinguishing those two genera 

 except when in flower. At that time Mormodes presents 

 some peculiarities of so strange a nature that, if they were 

 not found constant in several distinct species, we should be 

 tempted to regard them as monstrosities. In particular the 

 column, instead of being straight and standing erect in the 

 centre of the flower, is bent over to one side, just as if it had 

 been subjected to violence. There is also a great irregularity 

 of direction and proportion in the parts that surround the 

 column. 



No where are these singularities so strongly marked as in 

 the plant now before us, whose sepals and petals, instead of 

 standing in an obviously alternate position with respect to 

 each other, are so completely broken up and twisted out of 

 their places that they can hardly be recognised, and the whole 

 floral apparatus is as it were dislocated. For example, of the 

 three sepals, the back one is placed almost opposite one of 

 the petals ; the other petal is shifted to one side, so as to 

 stand half behind the first ; and the lip, instead of being 

 stationed exactly between the two petals and two lateral sepals, 

 turns its back to the left-hand sepal, and its face to the right- 

 hand petal. And then the column is bent to the left as well 

 as the lip, but not in the same degree, so that even these two 

 organs are not, as they usually are, opposite each other. 



In mentioning the existence of this singular plant wc 

 July, 1843. o 



