. Orchidem - continued. 
514 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
connate (Cypripedium), or all three coherent (Masde- 
vallia) ; the inner lateral (the petals) similar; the third 
inner segment (the lip) originally superior, but afterwards 
becoming inferior by the twisting of the pedicel, dissimilar, 
usually larger, extremely varied in shape and colouring, fre- 
quently spurred (Angraecum, &c.) or pouched (Cypripe- 
dium); stamens united with the style into a column, 
usually one opposite the upper sepal, sometimes two 
(Cypripedium) opposite the two lateral petals; anther 
two-celled (or one-celled by absorption of the septum), 
or four-celled by more or less perfect secondary septa; 
pollen agglomerated into two, four, or eight, pear-shaped, 
usually stalked masses (pollinia), lodged in the mem- 
branous pockets of the anther, and composed of grains, 
usually collected by fours into numerous groups, cohering 
by means of elastic filaments, or gathered round a cellular 
axis; grains sub-pulverulent, easily separable, or agglu- 
tinated into a solid, compact, waxy tissue; pollen- 
masses sometimes free, usually fixed, either directly or 
by means of a pedicel (caudicle), to a viscous gland 
_ (retinaculum), which may be exposed, or inclosed in one 
or two pouches; ovary inferior, often long, and twisted, 
one-celled (more rarely three-celled), trigonous; style 
often terminating in a beak (rostellum) at the base of 
the anther, or between its cells; stigma a viscid surface 
facing the lip, beneath the rostellum; seeds innumer- 
able, very minute, fusiform; testa very lax-reticulate and 
albuminate, Leaves sheathing at the base, glabrous, 
rarely velvety (Hria), very firm in texture (Cattleya), or 
membranous (Liparis), cylindric (Brassavola), linear (Iso- 
chilus), or linear-lanceolate, usually entire or emarginate, 
as in Vanda, or some Angrecums, fan-shaped (Pogonia) 
or heart-shaped (Listera); nerves parallel, rarely reticu- 
late (Dossinia, &c.), now and then developing buds on 
their surfaces, as in some Spiranthes and Malaxis. Stem 
or scape usually simple, cylindric or angular, often 
leafless. According to the authors of the “Genera Plan- 
tarum,“ there are 334 genera and about 5000 species; in 
that work, these are divided into f.e tribes, the principal 
distinguishing characteristics of each being here given. 
TRIBE I. Eprpenprem. Anther one, dorsal, operculate, 
usually incumbent, with the cells distinct and parallel; 
pollinia waxy, in one or two series, parallel, two to four 
in each series (one to four in each cell), free, or joined 
in each cell by a little viscous substance, or a granular 
appendage, very rarely attached to the rostellum. This 
tribe contains eighty-eight genera, and is divided, by 
Bentham and Hooker, into nine sub-tribes; it is repre- 
sented, in both hemispheres, by both terrestrial and epi- 
phytal genera, and includes some of the most beautiful 
garden plants: Calanthe, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Lelia. 
Trise II. Va Dr. Anther one, dorsal, operculate, 
incumbent, or applied to the rostellum; cells most fre- 
quently confluent; pollinia waxy, usually two or four, 
applied to each other in pairs, posterior and anterior. 
Vandew is divided into nine sub-tribes, and contains 
129 genera, the great majority being epiphytes. This 
group is represented almost in equal numbers in tropical 
Asia and America; there are many members in Mada- 
gascar, few in Africa, and very few beyond the tropics, 
Familiar examples are: Aerides, Odontoglossum, Onci- 
dium, Phalenopsis, and Vanda. 
TRIBE III. Neorrresx. Anther one, posterior, oper- 
culate, or erect and persistent; cells distinct, parallel ; 
pollinia granular, powdery, or sectile. Stems without 
pseudo-bulbs, There are six sub-tribes of Neottiew, and 
eighty-one genera, nearly all of which are rhizomatose 
terrestrial plants—Vanilla is sub-epiphytic. They have 
erect, simple stems, which are leafy at the base, or are 
quite leafless. Neottiee are represented in both hemi- 
spheres, a considerable number being extra- tropical. 
Examples are: Anactochilus, Pogonia, Sobralia, Vanilla. 
Orchidee continued. 
TRIBE IV. OPHRYDEÆ. Anther one, posterior, erect, 
prostrate, or reflexed, with parallel or divergent, distinet 
cells adnate to the clinandrium, and often continuous 
with the rostellum; pollinia granular, produced into a 
caudicle in each cell. There are thirty-two genera of 
Ophrydew, divided into four sub-tribes. All are terres- 
trial plants, with tuberous roots, the largest number of 
genera being found in South Africa, and but few in the 
tropics. The species are, perhaps, most numerous in 
the Mediterranean region. Examples are: Aceras, Disa, 
Ophrys, Orchis. 
TRIBE V. CYPRIPEDIEm. Anthers two, lateral; the 
rostellum prolonged into a shield between the anthers ; 
pollen powdery. This tribe contains but four genera, 
only two of which, Cypripedium and Selenepedium, are 
in cultivation; the first is widely distributed over the 
temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres, the 
latter being confined to the mountainous regions of South 
America. The two genera not in cultivation, Apostasia 
and Newwiedia, are respectively limited to tropical Asia, 
and Australia and tropical Asia. All four are ter- 
restrial herbs. 
Linneus, in the middle of last century, only knew 
about a dozen exotic orchids, whereas now, probably, half 
the known species are, or have been, in cultivation in 
this country. By far the larger number inhabit tropical 
forests ; they become less plentiful in temperate regions, 
and are almost absent from very cold ones—perhaps not 
more than two or three enter the Arctic Circle. They 
vary exceedingly in size; the Javan Galeola altissima, 
which has been said to be the largest known orchid, 
attains.a length of more than 100ft.; but a Vanilla 
has been seen under cultivation with a stem even longer 
than this. Drymoda picta is one of the smallest of 
Orchids; it has a dull green, small, disk-like pseudo- 
bulb, from which springs a minute and very deciduous — 
leaf. Angrecum funale, and some other species of the 
same genus, as well as some of the African Vanillas, 
are quite leafless, and depend upon the chlorophyll pre- 
sent in the strap-like roots of the first-named, and in 
the long stems of the latter genus. 
Scarcely any natural order of plants is more free from 
fungoid attacks than are Orchidew; for what is known 
about the fungi which have been observed on cultivated 
Orchids, the reader is referred to a paper by Mr. Wor- 
thington G. Smith, in the Gardeners’ Chronicle” (n. s., 
xxiv. p. 693). This volume also contains an account, 
by Professor Westwood, of the various phytophagous 
insects which have been found on imported Orchids. 
Among some of the other important results of the 
Orchid Conference of 1885, may be specially mentioned 
the paper on the Hybridisation of Orchids, by Mr. 
H. J. Veitch. This also is published in the “ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle” (n. s., xxiv. p. 628), and is illustrated by 
figures of seeds and seedlings of Cypripedium, Dendro- 
bium, and Phalenopsis. 
“Of the few orchids which are of use to man, the 
Vanillas (Vanilla claviculata, planifolia, &c.) hold the 
first rank. They are sarmentose plants, natives of the 
hot and damp regions of Mexico, Colombia, and Guiana 
{and tropical Africa]. Their fruit is a fleshy, long cap- 
sule, and the black, globose seeds are enveloped in a 
special tissue, which secretes a balsamic oil; if kept in 
a dry place, ee becomes covered with pointed 
and brilliant crystals of benzoic acid, and imparts its 
delicious perfume to various delicate dishes, chocolates, 
liqueurs, Ke. The Faham (Angraecum fragrans) is a 
native of Bourbon; its leaves, known as Bourbon Tea, 
taste of Bitter Almonds, and smell like Tonquin Beans; 
they are used to stimulate digestion, and in pulmonary 
consumption. Salep, which is imported from Asia Minor 
and Persia, is produced by the tubers of several species 
of Orchis, which are equally natives of Europe (0. 
