LIPARIS LOESELII. 215 



Liparis Loeselii. 



The remains of the organs of last year are found at the base of 

 the flowering plant ; they are reduced to a bulb-like conical or 

 ovate body, which is however compressed on two sides so as to 

 present two flat surfaces and two rounded keels ; on the outside 

 are the sheathing bases of many leaves : the most external of 

 which are decayed, the inner though dead tolerably firm, and 

 threaded by strong longitudinal nerves, which are separated from 

 each other by thin parenchym. The innermost sheath has a very 

 narrow orifice, in which the nerves coalesce and the parenchym 

 is much thickened. The dry peduncle of the former year often 

 protrudes from this aperture. These sheaths encompass more or 

 less the base of this years plant. They arise from a generally 

 short horizontal axis of but moderate strength, from which also 

 the fibrous roots spring which for the most part perforate the 

 leaves, and which now like the leaves are dead. 



After the sheaths are removed, a firm, green, smooth, almost 

 shining tuber is found about the size of a nail, and still fresh. At 

 its base it is united with the portion of the axil which bears the 

 leaves, bearing above the withered peduncle or at least exhibiting 

 the scar of its point of attachment. The only part of last year's 

 plant which is fresh is this tuber : on one of its angles there is a 

 hollow, and in this the plant of the present year is connected with 

 the tuber. 



In the growing plant of this year we find always five leaves ; the 

 two outer or lower consist merely at the time of flowering of a 

 fissured sheath or lamina ; the third is generally a tolerably high 

 un withered sheath merely developed into a short lamina; the fourth 

 and fifth are perfect leaves, which have however a closed sheath two 

 to three lines high. The first stands with its back to last year's 

 tuber; the second slightly alternates with the first, the angle of diver- 

 gence being about 90°; the third with the second (about 180°); the 

 fourth with the third, and finally the fifth with the fourth. The 

 second and fourth are sometimes to the right of the last year's tuber, 

 in which case the third and fifth are consequently to its left, but 

 sometimes the contrary takes place. The corresponding inter- 

 nodes are generally undeveloped, and the filiform roots clothed 

 with delicate hairs, which are about an inch long and rise from the 

 axis, in this case perforate the base of the leaves. The internodes 

 are rarely so developed, that at least those between the lower 



