Orchidali ORCHIDAI I I 



hi 1 1 1 x view of the tru« Dature ol thi , which an certainly all opj 



of the stigma in Cypripedium. \\ liih , however, the untenablencM ■ ! tl 

 concerning the relation borne b\ the Btigmas to the other | 

 admitted, there remains a difficult) that oppoai i itseli to the rii a I i 

 with Brown, and which i ■ ■ t ■ ^-t no! be overlooked. It is that th< | 



il vary are doI opposite the stigmas, but alternate with them, whil 



pieces of the ovar) are in a line with the stigmata ! I how tlial 



[s composed of 6 carpellary leaves, oi which three bear stigmas wit] 



three bear ovules without stigmas. However paradoxical this ma) 



means incompatible with the due performance oi the functions ol (• i 



carpellar) leaves do not adhere into a solid mass, either in the ovar} or in the 



• in tin- oontrar) they form a i-:i\ it \' open from the Btigmatic ap< \ down to U 



ami the whole oi thai cavity is lined >.n i 1 1 i :i las conducting tissue, which maj 



less be exclusively furnished bj 3 stigmas only, and ma) becomi so confluent with the 



Silao otSB as t" form :i perfect channel ol < imunication for the pollen tub 

 lescent into tl \ ui< b. 



Order owes it-- »-lii« f peculiarities to the following circumstano 

 tin- consolidation of stamens and pistil into one common mass, called tlie column ; 



llv, in the suppression oi all the anthers, except one in the mast 

 or two in Cypripedeae ; thirdly, to the peculiar condition of its pollen, and the anther 

 which contains it ; and fourthly, to the ver) general development ol ol the 



inner leaves of the perianth or petals in an excessive degree, or in an unusual form. 

 Thesi peculiarities are in most cases so Btriking, and are all bo strongl) mani- 

 fested in the same flower, that the inexperienced botanist ma) I"- unable I 

 their real character. We find, however, thai the true nature ol i acb pan i- ind 

 b) special cases of Btructure occurring in different parts of the Order. Thus in Cypri- 

 pedium in it only are two lateral Btamena furnished with anthers, while the central b! 

 is antherless, but the stigma and style separate from the filaments nearly to thi 

 and the triple nature of the former is distinctly shown, together with the relation 

 lobes to the other parts of the flower The pollen, which has bo anomalous an a] 

 ance iii its waxy or Bectile Btate, presents the usual appearance of that Bubstai 

 Goodyera, and man) Neottese. Ami the irregularity of the labellum disappears ii 

 genera as Thelymitra, Paxtonia, Macdonaldia, Hexisea, and some others, whosi flowers 

 art ah i '.us! as regular a^ those of a Sisyrinchium. It is indeed to the latti r g< i us, 

 nearly than to any other, that Orchids seem to approach in structure, unh 

 gi-rworts ; si> that tlii>y ma] be Bupposed to pass into [rids through Thelymitra 

 Sisyrinchium on the one hand, and into Gingerworts through Phrynium and such a 

 genus as Evelyns on the other. With regard to Apostasiads, their relation t 

 Order does nol appear to be greater than to either of the two nov< mentioned : and in 

 die absence of all evidence as to the connecting links which join Orchids and \ 

 ta-ia'ls it seems unneoessar) to advert further to the subject. It may, bowevi 

 observed that Apostaaia has apparent!) as much claim to be regarded a- s dian 

 monadelphous Hypoxid, standing, perhaps, in the same relation to that Ordi 

 Gilliesiato Lilyworts, as it has to be regarded as a trilocular Orchid with I 

 ilt'iius organization lost 



It is not necessary t" enter, in this place, into a historj of the gradual alti • i l 

 has taken place in the views of botanists w ith regard to the structure of the - luaJ 

 ratus of these most curious I'lants. or to explain what degree of ignora •« n by 



those who mistook masses of poll d for anthers, or a column of stami 

 errors could only have occurred at a period when the lav< nization were unki 



They have been corrected, in a more or less perfect manner, bj various wi I ■- 

 completely by Brown in bis Prodromus, published in 1810, and subsequently b; 

 must accurate and indefatigable Richard. But long I ■ I 

 rational explanation of the structure of Orchids, whde botanists « 

 ni'ss npon the subject, it had been investigated by a man unrivalled in tua 

 the perfection of his microscopical analyses, the beauty of hi- drawin 

 rable skill with which he followed Nature in her mosl a en I w 

 which is a still rarer quality, the generous disinterestedness with whicl i - 

 tn his friends the result of his patienl and silenl laboui 

 lata Francis Bauer,between 1794 and 1807, in which the i 



l n published since that period is distinctly shown ; and it 



be tin' humble means of giving sunn- ol these remarkable ; 

 the world, in the Illustrations oj tit 6 N 



It 'tin- column ol an Orchidaceous plant is examined, il * 

 fleshy bod) stationed opposite the lip, bearing a solitar) ant 

 in front a viscid cavity*, upon the uppi r edge of which then 

 called tlu- roBtellum. ' This cavity is the stigma, 



