509 



serted into the inner margin of the nectary ;' as described 

 in the Genera Plantamm. It remains therefore for in- 

 quiry, whether the anthers burst in these as in other sta- 

 mens, and whether the pollen explodes upon the female 

 organs ? or whether there be any internal communica- 

 tion between the anthers and germen?" This latter opi- 

 nion Linnaeus was inclined to adopt, because, (as he 

 thought,) " the pistil was so obscure, that no one was 

 able to say whether there were any style or stigma." We 

 cannot but remark here that the latter is sufficiently ap- 

 parent, in the form of a shining glutinous depression or 

 cavity, just below the anthers ; nor is there any doubt 

 that the pollen, though different in texture from other 

 plants, and various in the different species of these, per- 

 forms the office of impregnation by the stigma. It con- 

 sists of naked elastic or granular masses, being what Lin- 

 naeus terms the anthers. 



" The germen is inferior in the whole order; the style 

 short, inclining, in many hardly manifest, in some Ameri- 

 can Orchidea very conspicuous. Stigma either obsolete, 

 or funnelshaped, sometimes compressed. A small gland 

 moreover is present, suspected to belong to the female 

 organs of impregnation, but not very decidedly." (Lin- 

 naeus surely errs in asserting that the sexes of the plants 

 in question are very obscure.) " The fruit is a capsule, 

 of one cell, and three valves, which last are connected by 

 a lateral suture, to which the seeds are attached, as to a 

 receptacle. The capsule does not burst in the usual 

 manner, but the valves separate at their lateral sutures, 

 while their extremities remain united at top and bottom. 

 The seeds are numerous, of a chaffy appearance, like 

 saw-dust." 



" Many fine species of this order are found in Europe 

 and America ; the Cape of Good Hope is not rich in 

 them;" (Mr. Brown observed a considerable number 

 there ;) " both Indies abound with singular ones, espe- 

 cially with Epidendra. Their favourite soil is a spongy, 



