Photo: James's Press Agency. 



LADY'S-SLIPPER ORCHIS (Cypripedium tnsigne) 



The lip of the flower forms the "slipper." Insects such as bees 

 wander inside this and can only get out in one particular way, in 

 which they must touch first the stigma and then the stamens, thus 

 carrying out cross-pollination. Flowers have endless contrivances 

 by which the insect is forced to do work of this kind. 



Photo: J. J. Ward. 



THE BUTTERFLY ORCHIS (Oncidium papilio) 



The orchids show the utmost refinement of floral 

 structure. This West Indian flower resembles a 

 butterfly, and like the British Bee Orchis, which 

 resembles a bee, it seems to frighten away insect 

 visitors. The result is that pollination often fails 

 and the flower sets no seed. The mimicry is here 

 of no apparent use. 



