THE ORCHID FAMILY, 



257 



insects' visits, and all the attractive features of colour, 

 honey, and scent, result in a quite disproportionate 

 amount of seed. It has been observed that a species of 

 Dendro'hium, growing in its native home in Australia, 

 bore thousands of blossoms ; but was found afterwards 



Fig. 99.— Epiphyte in the Eastern forests. 



to bear only one pod. The same observer, however, 

 discovered certain orchids to be cleistogamous, never 

 opening their flower-buds at all; and these were all 

 fully fertile. 



In tropical forests the orchids are usually epiphytal — 



S 



