Chap. VIII. FLOWEKS OF OECHIDS. 245 



from the sides of the upper sepal and of the two upper 

 petals, which enter the wrong ovarian groups, cannot 

 possibly represent any lost but once distinct organs. 



We have now finished with the general homologies 

 of the flowers of Orchids. It is interesting to look at 

 one of the magnificent exotic species, or, indeed, at 

 one of our humblest forms, and observe how profoundly 

 it has been modified, as compared with all ordinary 

 flowers, — with its great labellum, formed of one petal 

 and two petaloid stamens, — with its singular pollen- 

 masses, hereafter to be referred to, — with its column 

 formed of seven cohering organs, of which three alone 

 perform their proper function, namely, one anther and 

 two generally confluent stigmas, — with the third stigma 

 modified into the rostellum and incapable of being 

 fertilised, — and with three of the anthers no longer 

 functionally active, but serving either to protect the 

 pollen of the fertile anther, or to strengthen the column, 

 or existing as mere rudiments, or entirely suppressed. 

 What an amount of modification, cohesion, abortion, 

 and change of function do we here see ! Yet hidden 

 in that column, with its surrounding petals and sepals, 

 we know that there are fifteen groups of vessels, 

 arranged three within three, in alternate order, which 

 probably have been preserved to the present time from 

 being developed at a very early period of growth, 

 before the shape or existence of any part of the flower 

 is of importance for the well-being of the plant. 



Can we feel satisfied by saying that each Orchid was 

 created, exactly as we now see it, on a certain " ideal 

 type ; " that the omnipotent Creator, having fixed on 

 one plan for the whole Order, did not depart from this 



throngli the whole of or through is licreas comiilex anoriran as the 

 portions of cither seven or nine column of other Orchids, 

 organs. The l)ase of tlie labellum 



