712 



BOTANY 



PART II 



This order of 6000-10,000 species is abundantly represented in the tropics and 

 primarily divided into Jfonandrac and Dianclrac, in which one stamen of the outer 

 whorl or two stamens of the inner whorl are fertile respectivelj-. 



Examples of British Gkneea : 

 — 1. Monandrae : Orchis, O'phrijs, 

 Gymnadenia with tubers ; Ein'padis, 

 Cephalanthera,Listera with branched 

 rhizomes ; Keottia, the Bird's-nest 

 Orchid, E2)ipoijun, Coral liurhiza, sap- 

 rophytic and almost destitute of 

 chlorophyll. 2. Diandrae : Cypri- 

 pcdiuiii, Ladies' Slipper. 



Orchis militaris, which is repre- 

 sented in Fig. 782, will serve as an 

 example for more detailed considera- 

 tion. At the period of tlowering a 

 l>air of fleshy tubers will be found 



Fig. 776.— Flower of Canna iridifiora. f, 0\ary ; 

 /l, calyx ; c, corolla ; 1, labelliuu ; ft]_3, the 

 other .staininodia ; (i, fertile stamen ; </, .style. 

 (A nat. size.) 



Fig. 777. — Orchifiaceae. Floral 

 (lia>j,ram {Orchis). 



at the base of the plant, both of Avhich are covered with root hairs. The large 

 or brown tuber of more sjiongy texture continues above into the stem which 



FlO. 778. — Orchis militaris. Loi]j;ilucliiial 

 .section i)as.siiig through the o!<l and new 

 tuber-s. (After Luerssen.) 



Fig. 779. — Koot-system of Orchis latifiAm. h, 

 Base of stem ; .?, catapliyllary leaf ; t', old, 

 t", young tubers ; k, bud ; ?-, roots. 



terminates in the jiyramidal intiorescence ; this stem is surrounded at the 

 base by a pair of scale-leaves and the sheaths of the 2-4 elongated, elliptical foliage 

 leaves. Tlie smaller tuber is of firmer consistence and of a white colour ; it l)ears. 



