GROUP V. ANGIOSPERM.E ; MONOCOTYLEDOXES. 507 



BirdVnest Orchid, is a saprophyte, with scaly leaves, which do not contain 

 chlorophyll ; labellum not spurred. 



To the sub-family Phj/surece, characterized by the structure of the pol- 

 liniurn, which is sectile, belongs the genus Goodyera (G. repeim) in which 

 the labellum has no spur, and the pollinia have acrotonous caudicles ; the 

 inflorescence is, like that of Spiranthes, a unilateral twisted spike ; the 

 plant is rhizomatous. 



Fam. 4. Liparidince : the anther produces four waxy pollinia without 

 caudicles. Liparis (Siurmia) Loeselii, has only two foliage-leaves and 

 a pseudo-bulb; the flower is not resupinate ; there are two retiuacula, to 

 each of which a pair of pollinia become attached. Malaxis (M. paludota, 

 Bog Orchis) has a short gynostemium and a single retinaculum ; repro- 

 duced by pseudo-bulbs. Corallorhiza (C. innata, the spurless Coral-root) is 

 a saprophytic plant, without roots or foliage-leaves. 



There are many other families, including a large number of genera 

 which are mainly tropical and commonly epiphytic with aerial roots. 

 Man}' of these are cultivated in hot-houses such as Oncidium, Vandai 

 Dendrobium, Angrsecum, etc. Vanilla is the dried fruit' of Vanilla 

 plaiiifolia, a climbing species. 



Though pollination is usually dependent upon the visits of insects (see 

 p. 413), self pollination is by no means uncommon. For instance, among 

 British Orchids, Ophrys apifera and Neotinea iiitacta are probably always 

 self-pollinated, and Neottia Nidus-Avia, Epijxidis oualis and E. latifolia, are 

 frequently self-pollinated, simply by the falling of the pollen on to the 

 stigma. Cephalanthera rubra is commonly pollinated whilst in the bud, by 

 the germination of the pollen-grains, the pollen-tubes making their way to 

 the stigma. 



Cohort V. Narcissales. Flowers regular or irregular: not 

 less than three stamens in the androecium : perianth petaloid : 

 seeds with oily endosperm. 



Order 1. AMARYLLIDACE^. #3, C3, ^13 + 3 or 12 to 18, 0, 5j , 

 The flower is occasionally zygomorphic and narrowly funnel- 

 shaped : anthers usually introrse. The fruit is usually a trilocular 

 loculicidal capsule, sometimes a berry. 



The principal of the numerous genera are arranged in the following 

 families: 



Fam. 1. Amur nil idoidece: subterranean stem, bulbous: scape leafless, 

 bearing a single terminal flower, or an umbellate inflorescence, invested 

 by one or more bracts. Amongst the genera without a corona (see p. 458) 

 are Amaryllis (.4. Belladonna, the Belladonna Lily), Vallota (V. purpurea, 

 the Scarborough Lily) with zygomorphic flowers ; Galanthus (G. nivalis, 

 the Snowdrop), and Leucojum (L. vernum, the Spring Snowflake; L. asti- 

 vum, the Summer Snowflake) with actinomorphic flowers. Amongst the 

 genera with a corona are the many species of Narcissus ; A T . (C'orbtilaria) 

 Bulbocodium, the Hooped Petticoat Daffodil ; N. (Ajax) Reudo-narciim, the 



