Notice of a Monstrous Flower of Orchis spectabilis. 117 
Il. Notice of a Monstrous Flower of Orchis spectabilis. 
Although no doubt is at present felt with regard to the normal 
structure of the Orchidez, yet the instances in which this struc- 
ture is reverted to in monstrous flowers, are interesting and wor- 
thy, I think, of being recorded. An instance of this kind in 
Orchis latifolia. ' is désctibed by M. Achille Richard, in the “ Me- 
moires de la Soc. d’Hist. Nat.,” of Paris, in which the flowers 
were perfectly triandrous, with no no trace of irregularity in any 
part of the floral envelopes. 
I myself found a fine example in the case of a monstrous 
flower of our beautiful Orchis spectabilis. The plant on which 
it occurred was a very luxuriant one from the Crow’s Nest, West 
Point, supporting six or seven flowers, of which all but one had 
the ordinary structure. That one, however, had three stamens 
perfectly formed, and each presenting precisely the same appear- 
ance as the one usually developed. All the other parts of the 
flower were perfectly regular, and the ovarium had the three or- 
cney placente. For a sketch of this weeds see Fig. 6, Plate I. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. 
Fig. A. a terminations of ducts in ene. The ducts terminate at rr end 
in such co 
Fig. 2. Cylindrical portion of a duct, showing the bars gradually diminishing to 
points 
Fig 3. Prismatic sg of a duet. This form is probably caused by the pres- 
sure of cyerem oms rts. 
Fig. 4. A duct of ferns torn in a spiral direction between the bars = uncoiled. 
In te tates ducts have probably been mistaken for spiral vessels 
Fig. 5. Two portions of the bepaie of fibres in ferns, broken po pet ody 
separated, showing several torn ducts spirally twisted, still connecting the parts 
~ Fig. 6. A sus flower of Orckis spectabilis, showing a return to the normal 
seeetare of Orchidex, having three perfect anthers, and the rest of the flower in 
ordi state. a, a, a, three anthers not differing in any ect from the one 
usually developed, and having a very dilated stigma in front of them. 6,5, b, Se- 
pals. c,c,d, Petals and lip. e, Spur. f, Ovarium 
