14-0 



BRITISH FLOWERING PLANTS 



are coloured, and are remarkable for their trilobate 

 perianth. 



Frogbit — HydrocJiaris Morsus-rance 

 (Plate XCIII) 



This curious plant grows in ponds and ditches, 

 and the leaves float on the surface of the water. 

 The flowers are white, and the male flowers are 

 larger than the female ones. The name appears 

 to be derived from the truncated appearance of 

 the seed-capsule. 



Another plant belonging to this Order is the 

 American Water-weed {Elodea canadensis), acci- 

 dentally introduced into England about sixty years 

 ago. It has whorls of ovate leaves, and small 

 pink flowers with a long tube, ending in a 3- or 

 6-lobed perianth on the surface of the water. At 

 one time it spread so rapidly through the rivers 

 and canals of England that it threatened to 

 block them up ; but at present its vitality seems to 

 be failing, as none but female plants have reached 

 England, and it therefore spreads only by budding. 



Order XCII. OrcJiidacece (18 genera) 



This is a rather large and important Order of 

 plants, of which we shall only be able to notice a 

 few representative species. The root is fibrous, 

 sometimes thickened into one, two or four bulbs 

 or tubers. The leaves are generally long, narrow, 

 and pointed. The perianth, which is usually placed 

 on the ovary, is tubular, terminating in three outer 

 and two inner segments of the upper lip or flag, 

 beneath which the third segment of the inner row 

 forms the lower lip or labellum, sometimes ending 

 in a hollow pointed spine. The ovary is often 

 twisted, and in the. middle the three stamens are 

 generally united into a column. Most of the flowers 

 are extremely handsome, and often sweetly scented. 

 They frequently (even in British species, and much 

 more in tropical countries, where many species are 

 epiphytes, or tree-parasites), assume very curious 

 forms ; leading to their being called Fly Orchis, 

 Bee Orchis, Spider Orchis, Green Man Orchis, 

 etc. In Europe many species prefer a calcareous 

 soil, while others grow in meadows. They are not 



