ORCHIDEJS. 383 



Order LXXVI. orchid'eje. 



Terrestrial herbs, roots fascicled or tuberous (many exotics are epiphytes, 

 with pseudo-bulbs). Leaves sheathing at the base, or scales. Flowers 

 solitary, spiked, racemed or panicled. Perianth superior, irregular, of 6 

 coloured segments ; 3 outer {sepals) nearly similar ; inner lateral similar 

 (petals) ; third inner (inferior by torsion of the pedicel) (lip) dissimilar, 

 usually larger, often spurred. Stamens confluent with the style into an 

 unsymmetrical column ; anthers 1 superposed to the outer sepal (in 

 Cypripedium 2 opposite the petals), 2-celled, persistent or deciduous ; 

 pollen in 2, 4, or 8 pyriform usually pedicelled masses {pollinia), pedicels 

 ( audicles) terminating in a gland ; glands exposed or in 1 or 2 pouches. 

 Ovary usually long and twisted, 3-gonous, 1-celled ; style often terminating 

 in a beak (rostellum) at the base of the anther or between its cells ; stigma 

 a viscid surface (of three confluent stigmas) facing the lip, beneath the 

 rostellum ; ovules very many, anatropous, placentas 3 parietal. CapsicU 

 3-valved, valves separating from a framework that bears the placentas. 

 Seeds innumerable, very minute, fusiform, testa very lax reticulate, 

 albumen ; embryo fleshy. — Distrib. All climates and situations except 

 the very cold maritime, and aquatic ; genera 334 ; species 5,000. — Affin- 

 ities. With Irideoz. — Properties. A few are aromatic ( Van ilia) ; the 

 tubers of Orchis are nutritive, and yield starch and salep. 



Tribe I. EPIDENDREjE. A nther a 2-celled cap, hinged upon the column ; 

 pollen-masses 4, waxy, free or connate, not attached to the rostellum. 



Leafy herb. Lip superior. Column short 1. Malaxis. 



Leafy herb. Lip superior or inferior. Column slender 2. Liparis. 



Leafless brown saprophytes. Lip inferior 3. Corallorhiza. 



Tribe II. NEOTTIE'JE. Anther a 2-celled deciduous cap, hinged on to the 

 top or back of the column ; pollen-masses 2 or 4, granular or powdery, 

 grains free or united by an elastic web. 



* Anther hinged on the back of the column ; rostellum beaked. 



A leafless brown saprophyte. Pollen powdery 4 Neottia. 



Leaves 2 subopposite. Lip free. Pollen powdery 5. Listera. 



Leaves several. Lip free. Pollen-grains coherent 6. Goodyera. 



Leaves several. Lip adnate to the base of the column. Pollen powdery. 



7. Spiranthes. 



** Anther hinged on the top of the column ; rostellum very short. 



A leafless brown saprophyte. Pollen granular 8. Epipogium . 



Stem leafy. Flowers racemed ; ovary straight 9. Epipactis. 



Stem leafy. Flowers spiked ; ovary twisted 10. Cephalanthera. 



Tribe III. PHRYDE'iE. Anther 1, confluent with the column, 2-celled, 

 erect ; pollen-masses 2, granular, grains united by an elastic web. 



