IRIDACE/E 



141 



regarded as poisonous, and a drink called salop 

 used to be prepared from the tubers. Many of 

 the species are fertilised by pollen being conveyed 

 from one plant to another by bees and other 

 insects ; a subject to which Charles Darwin and 

 other eminent naturalists have devoted much 

 attention. 



Early Purple Orchis — Orchis mascula 

 (Plate XCIV) 

 This is one of the species in which we find two 

 tubers at the base of the plant. Each year a new 

 one is formed on the side of that which has 

 flowered, while the older one on the other side 

 decays, next year's plant growing from the new 

 tuber ; and thus the plant moves slowly in one 

 direction year by year. The Early Purple Orchis 

 flowers in spring, and is one of the handsomest 

 and commonest of our meadow species. It grows 

 to the height of upwards of a foot, and bears a 

 large spike of purple, or more rarely pink or white 

 flowers. Most of the leaves form a rosette round 

 the root ; they are long, narrow, and spotted with 



purple — a very frequent characteristic of our British 

 Orchids. 



Lady's Slipper — Cypripedium Calceolus 

 (Plate XCV) 

 This is a rare species in the north of England, and, 

 though commoner on the Continent, is one of those 

 plants which have been exterminated by reckless 

 botanising in many places where it was formerly 

 met with. The fibrous root, oval veined leaves, and 

 remarkably handsome flower are well shown in our 

 figure. The plant grows to the height of 18 inches, 

 and occasionally bears two flowers instead of one. 



Order XCIII. Iridacece (5 genera) 



These are plants with a thick fibrous or bulbous 

 root-stalk, long, radical leaves, embracing the stem, 

 and large handsome flowers, the perianth with 6 

 petals, 3 stamens, and a 3-celled ovary and seed- 

 capsule. 



The British species are not numerous. We have 

 given illustrations of three of the principal genera. 



