Botany. 153 



Section II MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



ALLIANCE I. MICROSPERM^. 



N.O. i. ORCHIDACEM. Moth or butterfly flowers ; honey 

 not usually secreted, but the spur has to be drilled for 

 the nectar ; curious and sometimes most elaborate 

 adaptations for insect pollination (for details in the 

 different genera see Darwin's " Fertilisation of 

 Orchids "). Plants with mychorrhiza on the roots 

 or rhizome, and so often found growing under those 

 trees which also have a mychorrhiza. Many 

 species which were formerly abundant in the chalk 

 districts are becoming rarer every year through the 

 reckless plucking of the flowers and digging up of the 

 plants. For example, Mr. Griffin in '99 observed 

 10 species of Orchids on Darwin's " Orchid bank," 

 but in '03 not more than 4. It is hoped that the 

 publication of this Flora will serve to preserve this 

 beautiful race of plants, and not lead to their further 

 destruction. To prevent rare species from being 

 taken for botanical specimens or plucked for bouquets 

 Mr. Griffin advises the pinching off of the wings and 

 the labellum, wherever they are seen. Orchids are 

 almost absent from District i. 



1430. NEOTTIA nidus-avis, R. (BIRD'S NEST ORCHID), 6, P. Brown 

 leafless saprophytes with mychorrhiza ; shady woods and 

 copses, chiefly under beech, yew, and hazel ; freq. esp. on 

 the chalk ; locally frequent in district 2. 



1. Beech woods between Down and Cudham, '05. W.H.G. 



2. Plentiful in Viner's Wood and near Cudham. A.D.W. 



3. Roadside bank by Holwood Park, '06. J.F.B. 

 a. Charlton Wood, 1762. 



1432. LISTERA ovata, Br. (TWAYBLADE), 56, P. Frequent by 

 margins of woods in most parts of the district. Honey 

 secreted (Rendle). 



1. Under beech trees near the public footway through 



Holwood Park. W.H.G. 



2. Under beech trees, woods near Bexley, '06. L.C.C. 



