CJhap. VIII. 



FLOWERS OF ORCHIDS. 



239 



as in Calanthe, Orchis morio, &c., to the bifurcation 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 Epidendrese.* In the Malaxese 



♦ It may he advisable to give a 

 few details od the flowers which 

 I dissected ; but I looked to special 

 points, such as tlie course of the 

 vessels in the labellum, in many 

 cases not worth here giving. In 

 the Vandcfe I traced all the ves- 

 sels in Catasetiim tridentatum and 

 saccatum; the great group of 

 vessels going to the rostellum 

 separate (as likewise in Mormodes) 

 from 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 bifuicates and sends a 

 group (a^) up the front of the 

 column; the vessels proceedmg 

 from the postero-lateral group run 

 up the back of tl^.e column, on 

 each side of those running to the 

 fertih' anther, and do not go to 

 the edges of the clinandrum. In 

 Acropera luteola the base of the 

 column, where the labellum is 

 attached, is much produced, and 

 the vessels of the whole auterior 

 ovarian group are similarly pro- 

 duced; those (as) going up the 

 front of the column are abruptly 

 reflected 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 

 S^ to the viscid gland of the polli- 

 nium. Among theEpidemlresel 

 traced all the vessels in a Cattleya ; 

 and all in Evelyna carkmta except 

 03, which I did not search for. In 

 the Malaxese I trace d nlVinLiparis 

 pendula except a,, which I do not 

 believe is present. In Malaxis 

 l^aladosa I traced nearly all the 



vessels. In Cypripedium harhafnm 

 and pupuratum I traced all except 

 ttj, which I am nearly sure does 

 not exist. In the Neottea; I traced 

 in Cephalanthera qrandijiora all 

 the vessels, excepting that to the 

 aborted rostellum and those to 

 the two auricles a^ and a.,, which 

 were certainly absent. In Epi- 

 pactis I traced all excepting ai,a2, 

 and rtj, whifh are certainly absent. 

 In Spiranthes autumnalis 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 Goody era. In none of tlie 

 Ophreoe do the vessels aj, a^, and 

 ttg occur. In Orchis ptjramidalis 

 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 vessels the 

 lateral ones running of course into 

 the antero-lateral ovarian group. 

 In Gymnadenia conopsca I traced 

 all the vessels ; but 1 am not sure 

 wliether the vessels supplying the 

 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 bases of the anther-cells. 

 Lastly, in Habenaria chlorantha I 

 traced all the vessels, excepting 

 as in the other Ophreae the three 

 of the inner staminal whorl, and I 

 looked Cixrofully for a^ : the vessel 



