comes the lowermost member of the perianth and is ad- 
jacent to the subtending floral bract. This is very clearly 
and beautifully exhibited by Goodyera pubescens. (cf. 
plate opposite p. 150) In this species the raceme devel- 
ops in such a manner that it attains considerable length 
before anthesis and the basal flowers begin to expand 
only after the inflorescence is about to burst into full 
bloom. Consequently throughout the raceme there is a 
protracted period of juvenility. This being so, it is possi- 
ble before a single flower has opened to trace in the buds 
every stage of ovarian torsion and curvature between the 
adaxial position of the labellum and complete resupina- 
tion of the perianth. 
In many genera there may be torsion in the rachis as 
well as in the pedicel or in the ovarian tissues. ‘Torsion 
may be clockwise or counter-clockwise as is true of S‘pi- 
ranthes gracilis; the inflorescence then takes on the as- 
pect of spirality. In these cases torsion has occurred in 
the ovary, pedicel and rachis. In many species of orchids 
there may be a pronounced drooping of the raceme and 
the flowers then become resupinate. 
Whatever influences are at work, the orchid flower is 
designated as being resupinate when the labellum is the 
lowermost segment of the perianth. Thiscondition was de- 
fined by Lee in 1765 as follows: ‘‘A Resupination; which 
is, when the upper Lip of the Corolla looks toward the 
Ground, and the under Lip towards Heaven.’’ John 
Lindley, in his Vegetable Kingdom, third edition (1853) 
p. 178, described the orchid flower as being “‘very often 
resupinate in consequence of a twist in the ovary.’’ And 
Vines, in his translation of Sachs’ textbook of botany im- 
plied that resupination is bound up with torsion stating 
that: ‘‘the long ovary of most orchids undergoes torsion 
(resupination) at the time of the opening of the flower, 
which causes the posterior side of the flower to assume 
[ 149 ] 
