no 



NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



should be pushed into the narrow pocket which Darwin alone regarded as the stigma, 

 though tliis may often happen; it is enough if they come in contact with what he 

 considered to be the rostellum. In the great majority of European genera the lip 

 is directed upwards in the bud, but through the twisting of the ovary (or of its stalk), 

 the flower turns round through an angle of i8o°, so that the lip points downwards, 

 the position most convenient as a landing-place for insects. In a few genera, e.g. 

 Epipogon, Liparis, Malaxis, Nigritella, etc., the hp normally points upwards. The 

 downward movement of the lip has been caUed geotropic (relating to the influence 

 of gravity on growing organs). In Malaxis the flower makes a complete revolution, 

 so that the lip regains its original position, and points upwards. The movement 

 is more probably due to a natural tendency to twist in the ovary or its stalk. 



Habitat. Wet peat-bogs or marshes, usually growing in cushions of Sphagnum 

 standing in water. Ascends to 1500 ft. in N. Britain. Flowers July, August, or even 

 September in the north. 



Distribution. From Kent to Devon northwards to Ross. Sutherland, and the 

 Hebrides. Rare and local, more frequent in the north. In Ireland widely distributed, 

 but rare and local. Scandinavia, Deimiark, Finland, Central Russia, France (rare), 

 Switzerland (very rare), Siberia, Dahuria (Hooker), N. America (Oakes Ames). 



Malaxis paludosa Swartz, Aa. Holm. p. 235 (1800). Ophrys paludosa L. 

 (1753). Sturmia paludosa Rchb. p. (1828). 



Fertilisation. Although the flowers of Malaxis are so hard to see, they are very 

 attractive to insects. Darwin found that the poUinia had been removed from all the 

 flowers he examined, except one or two top ones. In some spikes every single 

 pollinium had been carried away. Sometimes an insect removes only one of the two 

 pairs. He noticed a pollinium in the stigmatic cavity of one flower, whose own 

 poUinia were still in situ. This must have been brought by an insect from another 

 flower. Plenty of seed is produced, one spike having 13 large capsules. He trans- 

 planted some specimens to a bog about two miles from their original habitat, and 

 most of the poUinia were immediately removed.' The insects wliich visit Malaxis 

 must be of small size. I can trace no record of what they are. The middle sepal, 

 which normally stands at the top of the flower, points downwards in Malaxis, and 

 replaces the lip as a landing-place for insects. The two petals are curved backwards 

 out of the way, leaving the flower quite open and flat. The sharp-pointed trowel-like 

 hp embraces the column with its curved base, and affords some slight protection 

 from the weather. The lobes, one on each side of the anther at the top of the column, 

 resemble the anther in shape and form a clinandrium to prevent the naked pollinia 

 from being blown away. These lobes are developments of the obsolete anthers 



' Fert. Orch. ed. 2, pp. 32 and 134. 



