ORCHIDE^: 405 



into one another. The stem terminates in a spike 

 of flowers each in the axil of a conspicuous bract. 



Under the arching sepals and petals, just behind 

 the opening of the hollow spur, will be seen a very 

 short solid column flanked on either side by two 

 pouches broad above and narrow below, which open 

 in front by a sjit and in some species curve forwards 

 at the bottom but are generally straight. If a thick 

 bristle or fine pencil point be pushed gently into 

 the mouth of a newly-opened flower and be made 

 to touch the bottom of the pouch, there will prob- 

 ably be found on it when withdrawn a small club- 

 shaped body with a very sticky disc at the base, by 

 which it is stuck to the pencil point, and ending 

 above in the yellow mass of pollen a pollinium 

 which filled the upper broader end of the pouch. 

 The two pouches together form one stamen, the only 

 one in the flower. On the front face of the column, 

 just above the mouth of the spur and between the 

 two anther lobes, may be seen the stigma in a slight 

 cavity. This is sticky and if touched by a pollinium 

 adheres to it so firmly that some of the pollen will 

 be left on it. 



We see, therefore, that the flower is on the same 

 general lines as that of VANDA or DERIDES, the column 

 being composed of a style and a stamen united into one 

 body, but that here the two halves of the anther diverge 

 so as to lie on either side with the stigma between them. 



STRUCTURE OF THE ORCHID FLOWER 



Now the typical flower of a monocotyledon, such 

 as one of the AMARYLLIDACE^E or LILIACEJE, has three 



