THE ORCHIS FAMILY. 393 



Chester "Walks and Wild-flowers," chap, ix.) None of the family are 

 cultivated in the open garden. 



Thirty-five Orchidaceae are inhabitants of Britain, thirteen of the 

 number occurring near Manchester. The insectiform species, requir- 

 ing a limestone soil, are not known here. The stems rise from six to 

 eighteen inches high, and terminate in simple spikes or racemes of 

 usually gay flowers. The leaves are parallel-veined, glabrous, un- 

 divided, and entire, generally lanceolate or oval, and the chief part of 

 them radical. In two or three cases they are spotted with blackish- 

 purple. The flowers are often provided with a slender tail or " spur," 

 and usually have the long and pendulous lower lip, in which the 

 variegation chiefly resides. 



A. 

 Spike unilateral and spirally twisted, the flowers close 

 together, diverging horizontally, small, greenish 

 white, and very fragrant. Stem four to sik inches 

 high, hracteated. Kadical leaves oblong, few, and 

 small 1. Lady's Tresses. 



B. 

 Raceme unilateral, hut not spirally tioisted, long and lax,v 

 the flowers distant, drooping, rather large, and 

 dingy greenish-purple. Stem one to two feet I 5^ Beoad-leaved 

 high. Leaves broadly ovate, stem-clasping, the j Epipactis. 



upper ones lanceolate. Lower bracts longer | 

 than the flowers 



C. 

 Spike or raceme neither spirally twisted nor unilateral. 

 * 

 Plant leafless ; the stem, which is about twelve inches 

 high, being provided only with brownish sheath- 

 ing scales. Flowers dingy brown. Root fibrous, 

 resembling a little bird's-nest 4. Bhid's-nest Orchis. 



«* 

 Plant with green leaves. 



I. — Leaves only two, opposite, sessile, and placed upon the stem at some distance 



from the ground. Flowers green. Roots fibrous. 

 Leaves oval, two to four inches long. Stem twelve to 



eighteen inches high. Raceme long and slender. 



Flowers numerous, distant, the lower hp deeply 



cleft 2. CoiIilON TWAYBLADE. 



Leaves broadly heart-shaped, less than an inch long. 

 Stem three to five inches high. Raceme short. 

 Flowers very few, greenish-brown 3. Small Twayblade. 



