NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



the necessary sticky material.^ Cephalanthera thus enables us to understand how cross- 

 ttSS on^y the aid of insects could be brought about, before a rostellum load yet 

 W evXed in the Orchidace.. Its ant.qu.ty .s confirmed by .ts w.de d.str.but.on 

 from Britain to the Himalayas and N. America (C. oregana Rchb.). 



E^S^rhas sometimes been united wkh Cephalanthera, but the flower .s con- 

 strS on a totally different plan. A rostellum now makes ks appearance_a sunple 

 bauTfXcrd matter with a skin which bursts at the sHghtest touch, the adhesive 

 matenalTeU hard on exposure to the air, and cementmg ^^^ Po^^^^^^^^^ 

 of the insect not to the thorax, as in the two previous genera. In E. kptoMa^oat. 

 1:tEZ;sis Godf. the rostellum disappears soon after the flower opens, and mde^d 

 L often absent In the continental E. Muelleri Godf. there is no rostel um. The stigma 



"nt Und thrust back under the base of the overhanging anther, which hu 



LlXland Neottia, both constructed on the same principle, constitute an entirely 

 dmte^ concept on f om the preceding genera, and must have come from different 

 ancesL" Just'beneath the anLr projects forward a ^o^l^;^^2^'^:^^:::Z. 

 tainina liquid cement in a high state of tension m parallel tubes. It^^f ^^^^^^^^ 



Te^ritive, and on the slightest touch the adhesive matter ^ ^^^^^^^J^^l^^ 

 aluein. the pollmia to the insect's head. Ustera extends throughout Europe, Siberia, 

 F Ask and N America; N^o#w from Britam to Japan. 



(tXw^ih ".e Up of Epipactis and the habit and flower-spike oi Sptranthes 

 linS th e't'ether. Curiously enough the pollen-tetrads cohere in packets bound 



probably the centre of distribution. Only one species, G. repem, has reached burope, 

 . D.™in .hough, .h.. .h. whole »f *^-P?" g^J- "»t™=o "f»S\S^^^^^^^^^ 



S;h'vf„°"..acraesr?„trr.er^s^^^^^^^^ 



