Chap. IV. EPIPACTIS LATIFOLIA. 101 



firmly united to tlie basal portion (fig. 16), so that it 

 is not flexible and elastic ; it apparently serves only as 

 a landing-place for insects. The fertilisation of this 

 species depends simply on an insect striking in an 

 upward and backward direction the highly-protuberant 

 rostellum, which it would be apt to do when retreating 

 from the flower after having sucked the copious nectar 



Fi<r. 10. 



EPIPACTIS LATirOLIA. 



Flower viewed sideways, with all the se]>als and petals removed, except the 



label lum. 



((. anther. I s. stigma. 



r. rostellum. I /. labellum. 



in the cup of tlu' labellum. Apparently it is not at 

 all necessary that the insect should push upwards the 

 blunt upper end of the anther ; at least I found that 

 the pollinia could be removed easily by simply drag- 

 ging off the cap of tlie rostellum in an upward or 

 backward direction. 



As some plants grew close to ray house, I have been 

 able to observe here and elsewhere their manner of 

 fertilisation during several years. Although hive-bees 

 and humble-bees of many kinds were constantly flying 

 over the plants, I never saw a bee or any Dipterous 

 insect visit the flowers ; but in Germany Sprengel 

 caught a fly with the pollinia of this plant attached 

 to its back. On the other hand I have repeatedly 



