52 ophre^t:. Cha.-. ii 



Opiirys, and is luucli more rigid ; tiie upper part is 

 naturally curved forward ; the lower part undergoes 

 the usual moyement of depression, A^hen the pollinia 

 are removed from their cells. The pollen-masses 

 never fall spontaneously out of their cells. This plant, 

 therefore, differs in every important respect from 0. 

 apifera, and seems to be much more closely allied to 

 0. aranifera. 



Oplirys scohpax of Cavanilles. — This form inhabits 

 the north of Italy and the south of France. Mr. 

 Moggridge says* that at Mentone it never shows any 

 tendency to fertilise itself, whilst at Cannes the pollen- 

 masses naturally fall out of their cells and strike the 

 stigma. He adds : " This material difference between 

 the two is accomplished by a A'ery slight bend in the 

 anther-cells, which are prolonged into a beak of variable 

 length, in the case of the self-fertilising blossoms." 



Oplirys apifera. — The Bee O^ihrys differs widely 

 from the great majority of Orchids in being excellently 

 constructed for fertilising itself. The two pouch -formed 

 rostella, the viscid discs, and the position of the stigma, 

 are nearly the same as in the other species of Ophrys ; 

 but the distance of the two pouc^hes from each other, 

 and the shape of the pollen-masses are somewhat 

 variable.! The caudicles of the pollinia are remark- 

 ably long, thin, and jflexible, instead of being, as 

 in all the other Ophrea? seen by me, rigid enough 

 to stand upright. They are necessarily curved 

 forward at their upper ends, owing to the shape of 

 the anther-cells ; and the pear-shaped pollen-masses 

 lie embedded high above and directly over the 



* 'Journ. Linn. Soc' vol. viii. symmetrically conflnont as .ti th; 



ISC"), p. 258. jjonus Orchis, ami with the two 



t I once found a siiifjlo flower viscid discs likewise conthient. a» 



on the summit of a sjiike, with in Orcliis i^nramklaJis ox hircina. 

 the two rostella as completely and • 



