ORCHIDACEA, 697 
edible fruits and useful fibrous materials. Some are anthel- 
mintic, and others contain colouring matters. 
Ananassa sativa, the Pine-apple-—The fruit (sorosis) of this species is 
the well-known and delicious fruit called the Pine-apple. A large number 
of these fruits are now imported into Britain, chiefly from the Bahama 
Islands, but in flavour they are very inferior to those produced by cultiva- 
tion in this country. The unripe fruit possesses anthelmintic properties. 
The fibre obtained from the leaves of this species, as well as that from one or 
more species of. Bromelia and Tillandsia, is known under the name of Pine- 
apple fibre, and has been used for various textile fabrics, and for the manu- 
facture of paper, cordage, &c. 
Billbergia tinctoria.—In Brazil a yellow colouring agent is obtained from 
the roots of this plant. 
Bromelia Pinguin possesses vermifuge properties. Its leaves yield useful 
fibres. The fibres of B. sylvestris under the name of Jrtle fibre or Mexican 
Grass are used for brush-making, ropes, and textile fabrics, and would pro- 
bably form a good paper material. 
Tillandsia usneoides is commonly called Tree-beard or Old Man’s Beard, 
from the fact of its forming a mass of dark-coloured fibres, which hang 
from the trees in South America, like certain Lichens in cold climates. 
This article has been imported under the name of Spanish Moss, and em- 
ployed for stuffing cushions, &c., mixed with horsehair. It has been also 
used for stuffing birds, for packing, and for paper-making. About 10,000 
bales are annually shipped from New Orleans. 
Cohort 3. Orchidales.—Flowers hermaphrodite and very irre- 
gular. Perianth of 6, or rarely 3, seeyments. Stamens, 1, 
2, or 3, confluent with the style (gynandrous). Ovary 1- 
celled with parietal placentation, except in Apostasiacez 
where it is 3-celled with axile placentation. Fruit capsular. 
Seeds very minute ; exalbuminous ; embryo very obscure. 
Order 1. OrncuIDAcE#, the Orchis Order.—Character.— 
Herbs or shrubs, terrestrial (figs. 261 and 262) or epiphytical (fig. 
256). Roots fibrous or tuberculated (figs. 262 and 261); no true 
stem or a pseudo-bulb (fig. 256). Leaves entire (fig. 316), 
generally sheathing. Flowers irregular (jigs. 546 and 1053), 
solitary or numerous, with a single bract, hermaphrodite. 
Perianth superior (figs. 546 and 1053), usually petaloid and 
composed of six pieces (fig. 1054), which are commonly arranged 
in two whorls; the owter whorl, s, sl, sl, formed of three pieces 
(sepals), more or less united below or distinct; one, s, being 
anterior, or when the ovary is twisted posterior (figs. 546 and 
1053), and.two, sl, sl, lateral; the inner whorl ( fig. 1054, pi, pl, 
ps) usually consists of three pieces (petals), (or rarely of but 
one), alternating with the pieces in the outer whorl; one (the 
labellum or lip) (fig. 1054, ps) posterior, or by the twisting of 
the ovary anterior (fig. 1053), usually longer and larger than the 
other pieces, and altogether different to them in form (fig. 1053), 
often spurred (jig. 546); sometimes the labellum exhibits a 
division into three regions of which the lowest is then termed 
