520 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Orchid House continued. 



several sizes, ready for use. Blocks, or rafts, may also 

 be made of teak, or pieces of tree-fern will frequently 

 answer equally well. A moist atmosphere is most de- 

 sirable for all during the summer, or growing season, 

 and, as a rule, plenty of water at the root. The amount 

 of rest necessary varies considerably, and can only be 

 properly apportioned by experience with different genera 

 or species ; some (as already remarked) are seldom com- 

 pletely at rest. Heavy syringing is not recommended 

 at any season : a very slight dewing over the plants 

 may be advantageous in summer; but, further than 

 this, the use of a syringe should be limited to dis- 

 tributing water amongst the pots for moistening the 

 atmosphere. Cleanliness amongst Orchids, in every 

 respect, is one of the main roads to success. Dirt on 

 the plants, or the pots, in the drainage, or even on the 

 beds beneath, will soon produce an evil effect on the 

 healthy appearance that should, and generally does, 

 characterise Orchids receiving proper attention. 



Insects, Sfc. Orchids are subject to many insect pests, 

 and to a much-dreaded disease called the "spot." This 

 latter is considered to be encouraged, especially in winter, 

 by a superabundance of moisture and by a stagnant atmo- 

 sphere. White and Brown Scale, Mealy Bug, Yellow 

 and Black Thrips, Bed Spider, Yellow and Green Fly, 

 are all included in the insect pests to the attacks of 

 which the plants are at times liable. Sponging with 

 weak soft soap or tobacco water is recommended for 

 eradicating any of them : fumigating Orchids is a prac- 

 tice not to be approved of, as it undoubtedly causes 

 injury at times. Cockroaches, Slugs, and Snails, must 

 also be included amongst the enemies of Orchids. 



ORCHIDIUM. A synonym of Calypso. 



ORCHIS (the ancient name, from orchis, testiculus ; 

 referring to the two oblong tuberous roots of some of the 

 species). Including Anacamptis, Barlia, and Himantoglos- 

 sum. OKD. Orchidece. A large genus (nearly eighty species) 

 of hardy terrestrial orchids, natives of Europe, temperate 

 Asia, and North Africa, with two North American, and two 

 in the Mascarene Islands. Many of them are interesting 

 and curious rather than showy. Flowers in dense or 

 loose, sessile spikes, or in very short, pedicellate racemes ; 

 sepals and petals nearly equal ; lip three (rarely four 

 or five) lobed, larger than the petals, hanging down 

 anteriorly between the lower segments of the calyx, 

 and extended in the form of a spur ; anther confluent 

 with the column, cells two, diverging at the base ; pollen- 

 glands in a common pouch. Stem erect, herbaceous, 

 leafy at the base. The few species worth cultivating 

 thrive best in a deep rich soil; those which naturally 

 prefer chalky soils should be planted in one of similar 

 nature. They are very impatient of disturbance at the 

 roots. Propagated by division. Transplanting should only 

 be performed during the autumn months, when the growth 

 of the young roots will have fully matured. 

 O. foliosa (leafy).* /. purple, numerously disposed in an ovate or 

 oblong-ovate spike, about 9in. long and 3in. broad ; sepals erect, 

 ovate, blunt; petals similar in form, but narrower and smaller; 

 lip pendent, very broad, three-lobed, much longer than the spur. 

 May. 1. unspotted, oblong, lower ones blunt, h. lift, to 2jft. 

 Madeira. A very desirable plant, varying a little in size of in- 

 florescence and colour of flowers. (B. M. 5074 ; B. B. 1701.) 

 O. fusca (brownish). A synonym of 0. purpurea. 

 O. hirclna (goat-scented). Lizard Orchis. JL dirty greenish- 

 white, with a disagreeable s_mell, large, remarkable for their long, 

 linear lip ; sepals converging over the column ; petals small; 

 spike dense, 4m. to Sin. long. Summer, h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe 

 (Britain, East Suffolk and Kent; almost extinct), North Africa. 

 See Fig. 767. (Sy. En. B. 1448.) 

 O. h. romana (Roman). In this variety, the lip is rosy-purple. 



Rome, 1871. 



O. lactea (milky), fl. purple ; sepals very acuminate ; lip three- 

 parted, very glabrous, equalling the incurved spur. May. 

 1. oval, acute, cuspidate. Barbary, 1815. (B. M. 1932.5 

 O. latifolia (broad-leaved).* Marsh Orchis, ft. purple or red ; lip 

 convex, crenate, slightly three-cleft ; spur conical ; spike dense, 



Orchis continued. 



many-flowered. June. I. lanceolate, broadest near the middle, 

 usually spotted with purplish-black. Stem about 1ft high. 

 Europe (Britain), Asia. (F. D. ii. 266; Sy. En. B. 1458.) 



FIG. 767. FLOWER OF ORCHIS HIRCINA. 



O. L lagotis (hare's-eared). A variety having purple flowers, 

 with darker bands on the lip. Alps of Piedmont, 1869. 



O. laxiflora (loose-flowered), fl. bright crimson-purple, in a very 

 loose spike, 3in. to lOin. long. Summer. I. lanceolate or linear- 

 lanceolate, Sin. to 6in. long, not in a rosette, h. 1ft. to 3ft. 

 Europe (Guernsey and Jersey, in wet meadows), 1820. (Sy. En. B. 



O. longibracteata (long-bracted). fl. purple ; sepals very obtuse ; 

 lip fleshy, crisped at base, four times as long as the thick, conical 

 spur ; lacinise obtuse ; crenate ; bracts exceeding the flowers ; spike 

 long, many-flowered. May. I. oblong, narrowed at base. Sicily, 

 1818. (B.R.357.) 



O. longlcornn (long-horned), fl. purple, disposed in dense spikes, 

 6in. to Sin. long ; lip striped with lilac. May. h. 12in. to 20in. 

 North Africa, 1815. A very handsome species. (B. M. 1944; 

 B. R. 202 ; S. B. F. G. 249.) 



O. longicruris (long-shanked), fl. pale purple, in a thick, sub- 

 corymbose spike ; sepals acuminate ; lip thrice as long as the 

 incurved spur ; lacinise all linear, acuminate. May. I. oblong- 

 lanceolate, undulated, obtuse. Europe. (S. F. G. 927; B. R. 

 375, under name of O. tephrosanthos widulatifolia.) 



O. macnlata (spotted).* fl. pale purplish or whitish, variously 

 spotted with purplish-brown, and disposed in an ovate spike ; 

 Up flat, crenate, three-lobed ; spur cylindrical, shorter than the 

 germen. June. I. lanceolate, spotted with purplish-brown. 

 Stem 1ft. high, slender. Europe (Britain), Asia. (F. D. vL 933 ; 

 Sy. En. B. 1459.) 



O. mascula (male), fl. rich purple, disposed in a rather loose 

 spike : the two lateral sepals reflexed upwards ; lip four-lobed, 

 crenate, having the disk white and spotted. Spring. I. chiefly 

 radical, elliptical or lanceolate, usually spotted with black. 

 Europe (Britain), North Africa, and West Siberia. (F. D. iii. 

 457 ; Sy. En. B. 1455.) 



FIG. 768. FLOWER OF ORCHIS MILITARIS. 



O. milltaris. Military Orchis, fl. numerous, in a dense, oblong 



the petals and 

 longer, p 

 spotted with purple, four-lobed ; spur not half the length of the 



. . , . , , 



spike; sepals usually purple, converging over the petals and 

 column in the shape of a helmet ; lip longer, paler, more or less 



ovary. Spring. 1., lower ones broadly oval to oblong. - Tubers 

 entire, h. 1ft. to 2ft. Southern England. See Fig. 768. (F. D. 

 viii. 1277 ; S. B. F. G. 163; Sy. En. B. 1452.) 



O. Morio (buffoon), fl. six to eight, in a loose spike ; sepals 

 purplish, arching over the smaller petals and column in the form 

 of a helmet ; lip pinkish-purple, pale purple in the middle, with 

 darker spots ; spur obtuse, nearly as long as the ovary. Early 

 summer. I. few, almost radical, and two or three sheathing 

 scales higher up the stem. h. 6in. to Sin. Europe (Britain) 

 West Asia. (F. D. ii. 253; Sy. En. B. 1464.) 



