'2i9 



DECA^DRIA MONOGYhUA, 

 225. MONOTROPA. Bird's-nest. 



Linn. Gen.2\4. Juss. 430. Fl. Br. 440. Lam. f. 362. 

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



Niit. Orel, undetermined by Linn., Juss., and DeCandolle. 

 Monotropccc. 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 Pijrola. The an- 

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

 decu 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. Fllam, 10, or 8, 

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

 alternate ones rather the smallest. Aiith. kidne\'-shaped, 

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



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

 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 colunm of as 

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

 envelopetl in a membranous reticulated tu?itCy greatly elon- 

 gated at both ends. 



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

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

 in Adoxa, gen. 222. 



Parasitical lierbs, of a pale unitbrm hue, having a simple, 

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

 to Or()f)nnchc ; to some ol' the Orchis trilx.' in peculiarity 

 of scent, and in seeds. 



1. M. Ht//)(tj)ili/s. Yellow Biid'b-ncst. 



Flowers in a droo})ing cluster ; laternl ones with eight sta- 

 mens ; terminal one with ten. 



M. Ilvivjpitys. Linu. Sp. Pi. r):»5. li'ilUl. v. •J..");;i. /7. lir. \\0. 

 Iji'^I. lioi.r. I. /. f)!). Hni>k. Loinl.f. J05. .bVo/. I-M. /xV//(. l(j I. 

 I'/, Dan. I. 232. Llnh. rin/l. II. 



