NEOTTIE^—NEOTTIA 103 



Genus VII NEOTTIA Swartz 



Column long, at right angles to lip. Rostellum strap-shaped, projecting forwards, 

 parallel with and just above the stigma, sensitive, ejecting a viscid drop of fluid when 

 touched. Stigma on frontal lip of column. Anther leaning forwards, attached by 

 a very short hinge to back of column. Pollinia bi-partite, pollen reticulate. 



Saprophytic plants without leaves or green colouring matter, only the flower- 

 stem appearing above ground. Rhizome quite concealed by densely crowded short 

 thick fleshy roots. Stem enclosed in sheathing scales. Raceme spike-like, flowers 

 smoky brown, rather large, spurless. Sepals and petals sub-similar, connivent in an 

 open canopy. Lip hollowed out at base with two curved widely divergent lobes at 

 apex. 



Neottia shares with Listera an outstanding peculiarity — the development of the 

 rostellum into a sensitive organ, ejecting two drops of viscid fluid on being touched — 

 which differentiates them so completely from all other orchids that Reichenbach fil. 

 {Icones, xiir, 145) united the two genera into one {Neottia). Lindley confessed that 

 there was nothing that could be regarded as a satisfactory distinctive mark except 

 their habit, but that this was so dissimilar that he thought it unwise to unite them. 



I. Neottia nidus-avis Richard 

 PI. 19. Bird's Nest Orchid 



Whole plant, including the flowers, yellowish brown, without chlorophyll. Root- 

 stock short, entirely concealed by a dense mass of crowded short thick obtuse fleshy 

 roots, popularly supposed to resemble a bird's nest. The tips of the roots are said by 

 various writers to give rise to adventive buds. Stem 2-4 dm. tall, erect, stiff, cylin- 

 drical, usually stout, slightly viscid above with glandular hairs, covered below with 

 oblong or lanceolate close-fitting or loose brown sheaths, the lower short, acute, the 

 upper longer, lanceolate, obtuse, sometimes large and loosely surrounding the stem, 

 with many parallel nerves connected by branching cross-veins. Leaves none. Raceme 

 spike-hke, cyhndrical, long, dense above, lower flowers distant. Flowers moderately 

 large, yellowish brown, honey-scented, the lip endiag in two broad divergent lobes. 

 Bracts lanceolate, tapering, acute, reaching about the middle of the ovary, i -nerved. 

 Ovary not twisted, on a twisted stalk half its length or more in lower flowers, ovate, 

 with sparse or plentiful shortly stalked glands, and six longitudinal ridges. Sepals 

 and petals free, similar (the latter slightly smaller), spreading in a nearly erect fan 

 or open helmet, obovate with minute rounded teeth at apex, i -nerved. Lip twice 



