Chap. VIII. 



FLOWERS OP ORCHIDS. 



239 



as in Calanthe, Orchis morio, &c., to the bifurcjition of 

 its extremity. 



The number, position, and course of all the spiral 

 vessels exhibited in the diagram (fig. 36) were observed 

 in some Vandese and Epidendrea,'.* In the Malaxeae 



* It may be advisable to give a 

 few details on the flowers which 

 I dissected ; but I looked to special 

 points, such as the coui'se of the 

 vessels in the labellum, in many 

 eases not worth here fciving. In 

 the Vandese I traced all the ves- 

 sels in Catasetitm tridentatum and 

 mceatum; the great group of 

 vessels going to the rostellum 

 separate (as likewise in Slormodes) 

 froiQ the posterior ovarian group, 

 beneath the bifurcation supplying 

 the upper sepal and fertile anther ; 

 the anterior ovarian group runs 

 a little way along the labellum 

 before it bifurcates and sends a 

 gi'oup (aj) up the front of the 

 column; the vessels proceeding 

 from the postero-lateral group run 

 up the back of the column, on 

 each side of those running to the 

 fertile anther, and do not go to 

 the edges of the clinandnun. In 

 Acropera luteola the base of the 

 column, where the labellum is 

 attached, is much produced, and 

 the vessels of the whole anterior 

 ovarian group are similarly pro- 

 iluced; those (a^) going up the 

 front of tlie column are abruptly 

 refltctid back ; the vessels at the 

 point of reflexion are curiously 

 hardened, flattened, and produced 

 into odd crests and points. In 

 an Oncidium I traced the vessels 

 Sr to the viscid gland of the polli- 

 nium. Among the Epidendrese I 

 traced all the vessels in a Cattleya ; 

 aud all in Evelyna carivata except 

 «3, which I did not search for. In 

 the Malaxt ffi I traced alUiiLiparis 

 pendula except Cj, which I do not 

 believe is present. In Malaxis 

 paludosa I traced nearly all the 



vessels. In Cypripedium harbaiwm 

 and pupuratum I traced all except 

 Oj, which I am nearly sure does 

 not exist. In the Neottese I traced 

 in Cephalanthera grandiflora all 

 tlie vessels, excepting that to the 

 aborted rostellum and those to 

 the two auricles a, and o.^, which 

 were certainly absent. In Epi- 

 pactis I traced all excejiting a,, a^, 

 and cfj, which are certainly absent. 

 In Spiranthes atUumnalis the 

 vessel Sr runs to the bottom of 

 the fork of the rostellum : there 

 are no vessels to the membranes 

 of the clinandrum in this Orchid 

 nor in Goodyera. In none of the 

 OphreEe do tlie vessels a,, a.,, and 

 Oj occur. In Orchis pyramidaUs 

 I traced all the others, including 

 two to the two separate stigmas : 

 in this species the contrast between 

 the vessels of the labellum and 

 of the other sepals and petals is 

 striking, as in the latter the ves- 

 sels do not branch, whilst the 

 labellum has three ve.-sels the 

 lateral ones running of course into 

 the antero-lateral ovarian group. 

 In Gymnadenia conopsea I traced 

 all the vessels ; but 1 am n^t sure 

 whether the vessels supplying tlie 

 sides of the upper sepal do not, as 

 in the allied Habenaria, wander 

 from their proper course and enter 

 the postero-lateral ovarian group : 

 the vessel Sr, going to the rostel- 

 lum, enters the little folded crest 

 of membrane, which projects be- 

 tween the ba^es of the anther-cells. 

 Lastly, in Habenaria chlorantha I 

 traced all the vessels, excepting 

 as in the other Ophrea; the three 

 of the inner .staminal whorl, and [ 

 looked curefnlly for a^ : the vessel 



