O P H 



O P H 



an inch in length, to cylindrical and an inch and 

 halt long, rough or villose, pointed, and furnished 

 with a few fibres-: the stem from six to nine 

 inches high, the lower part smooth, the upper 

 downy : the root-leaves four or more, forming a 

 tuft, ovate-lanceolate, smooth, entire at the 

 margins, bright green, half an inch in breadth, 

 dotted when magnified, and faintly ribbed. By 

 the side of these, and not from amongst them, 

 arises the stem, clothed with three or four lance- 

 olate, acuminate, embracing leaves, downy, and 

 membranous at the edge : the spike from two to 

 four inches long, twisted in a spiral form, with 

 numerous (fifteen or more) flowers, growing from 

 one side, and following its spiral direction. It 

 is a native of many parts of Europe, flowering 

 from August to October. 



The third has the root composed of many 

 strong fibres, from which arise ,two oval veined 

 leaves, three inches long, and two broad, joined 

 at their base; between these springs up a naked 

 stalk about eight inches high, terminated by a 

 loose spike of herbaceous flowers, resembling 

 gnats, composed of five petals, with a long hifid 

 lip to the nectarium, a crest or standard above, 

 and two wings on the side. It is a native of 

 manv parts of Europe. 



The fourth species has the bulbs roundish : 

 the stem from nine to fifteen inches high : the 

 leaves three or four, sheathing the stem at the 

 base, lanceolate, pale green, smooth, shining, 

 marked with numerous longitudinal nerves, the 

 intermediate space covered with a thin somewhat 

 pellucid puckered skin, giving thein a silvery hue : 

 the upper part of the stem naked, yellowish green. 

 nearly round, smooth : the bractes linear-lance- 

 olate, much longer than the germ, pale yellowish 

 green : the flowers in a long thinly scattered 

 spike; sometimes fifteen in number, but seldom 

 more than four or five : it has much resemblance 

 to a fly. It is a native of Sweden, &c. It 

 flowers in May and June. 



There are several varieties, as the flv-shaped ; 

 the great fly ; the large green fly ; the blue fly ; 

 and the yellow fly. 



The fifth has the stem about afoot high, leafy, 

 round except between the fructifications, where 

 it is compressed : the leaves alternate, lanceolate, 

 sheathing, pubescent, nerved: the bractes longer 

 than the germs, lanceolate. The three outer 

 petals large, spreading, purple, with the keel and 

 two nerves green; the two inner petals very 

 small, hairy, reflex, green : the lower lip of the 

 nectary large, wide, but slmrtcr than the petals, 

 dusky purple mixed with yellowj thrcc-lobed,the 

 side-lobes smaller, hairy, reflex, triangular, acu- 

 minate ; the middle one very large, pubescent, 

 thrce-dobed, bent down, the middle segment 



longer, acuminate; upper lip narrowed above 

 with a point, longer than the lower lip, of a green 

 colour: the filaments long: anthers very large : 

 the germ longer than the petals, but shorter than 

 the bracte, large, deeply grooved. It is a native 

 of Europe, flowering in June and July. 



The sixth species has the stem six inches high, 

 more or less according to its place of growth, 

 round, smooth, covered below with leaves em- 

 bracing it: the leaves next the root an inch and 

 half long, almost an inch broad, ovate-lanceolate, 

 somewhat blunt, marked with impressed lines, 

 smooth, spreading on the ground ; those of the 

 stalk few, narrower and more pointed : the flow- 

 ers from three to six, in a thin spike. It is a 

 native of Britain, flowering in June. 



It is fancied by some to resemble a bee, by 

 others a spider ; from the breadth of the lip, and 

 its being marked with diflerent shades of brown, 

 it derives its resemblance to the latter. Others 

 have dicovered a likeness to a small bird in the 

 flower. 



The seventh has a single bulb, round or some- 

 what oblong, with a few thick fibres from the 

 crown : the stem about six inches high, round 

 and smooth : the root-leaves two or three, sheath- 

 ing the stem, lanceolate, acute, smooth, of a 

 shining yellowish green, marked with parallel 

 veins: on the stein one or two sessile awl-shaped 

 leaves : spike an inch or an inch and half long, 

 of numerous flowers, which are greenish yellow, 

 with a faint musky smell. It is a native of many 

 parts of Europe; Sweden, Denmark, 8tc, flower- 

 ing in July. 



The eighth species has a stem about a foot 

 high, firm, smooth, round at the base, some- 

 what angular upwards: the root-leaves four or 

 five, sheathing the stem at the base, lanceolate 

 but varying in breadth, spreading: above these 

 one or two more, closely embracing the stem: 

 the flowers numerous, in a long loose spike. 

 They vary in number from ten to fifty. The lip 

 of the nectary is so divided as to bear a coarse 

 resemblance to the human arms and legs, whence 

 it has been named Man Orchis. It is a native 

 of the southern parts of Europe, and England, 

 flowering in June. 



It varies in size, and in the colour of its 

 flowers, from yellow green to bright ferruginous. 

 Culture. — All these plants may be introduced 

 into the different parts of pleasure-grounds from 

 the places where they grow naturally in this coun- 

 try, and be preserved ; but they do not admit of 

 being propagated in them ; the proper period for 

 this purpose is just before the stalks decay, in the 

 latter end of summer or beginning of the autumn, 

 as at that season the bulbs will be in the best state 

 for growing strong and flowering the following 



