510 



moist, friable, rich, but not manured, earth, in rather 

 shady situations. The species of Epidendrum are all, 

 perhaps, parasitical, insinuating their roots into the bark 

 of aged trees." 



" Orchidea are extremely difficult of culture." We 

 refrain from transcribing the ideas of Linnaeus on this 

 subject, as it is now known that some of these plants may 

 be propagated by seed, and that several succeed very well 

 in our stoves, among the rotten bark of trees, accompa- 

 nied by fresh vegetable mould. Our wild Orchises are 

 best removed when in full bloom, when the mould should 

 be entirely cleared away from their roots, and the latter 

 planted immediately in fresh sifted soil from their native 

 place of growth, with moderate subsequent watering. 

 Thus treated they will come up and flower for many suc- 

 cessive years in the same pot. 



Order 8. Scitamine^e. " These nearly approach the 

 Orchidea in aspect. The name of the order is an ancient 

 word, synonymous with aromatic, and answers to the 

 whole of the tribe, except Musa, Heliconia, and Canna." 

 (The two former certainly do not belong to this order, and 

 the last but imperfectly.) 



" The roots of the Scitaminea are fleshy, mostly acrid 

 and aromatic, lying on the surface of the ground, and 

 throwing out fibres from their under side, like some of 

 the 6th order. Stem always quite simple," (to this there 

 are exceptions in Maranta,) "in some bearing alternate 

 leaves ; in others naked, and separate from the foliage. 

 Leaves lanceolate, quite entire, even, stalked, convoluted 

 contrary to the direction of the sun ; their stalks sheath- 

 ing the stem. Inflorescence either a spike or cluster, the 

 flowers being separated by coriaceous or membranous 

 bracteas. Flower superior. Calyx a perianth of three 

 valves. Corolla always irregular. Pericarp in most in- 

 stances a capsule of three cells and three valves, with 

 many seeds in each cell." We pass over much of the 

 Linnaean description, recent discoveries having enabled 



