370 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



two lateral and one anterior (or posterior when the ovary is 

 twisted); the inner circle of three pieces (petals), or rarely one, 

 alternate with the sepals, two lateral, and one (the labellum) pos- 

 terior (or, by the twisting of the ovary, anterior) (figs. 458, 459 

 bl, & 462), usually longer and larger than the others, variously 



Fig. 459. 



Fig. 458. 



Fig. 460. 



Fig. 458. Flower of Orchis, and 



Fig. 4.59. Diagram of ditto : a, a, a, sepals : b, b, petals ; 6', labellum ; b", spur. 



Fig. 460. Clavate pollen-mass and caudicle of Orchis. 



formed, with or without appendages, sometimes divided into 3 

 regions by contractions, forming Tiypoctiilium (at the base), meso- 

 chilium, and epichilium ; free, or more or less adherent to the 

 column. Stamens gynandrous, the filaments confluent with the 

 style into a column (fig. 463), bearing mostly 1 perfect anther on 

 the side turned away from the labellum, with two lateral processes 

 (abortive anthers), or, rarely, 2 perfect lateral anthers with an 

 abortive process next the odd sepal (Cypripedium) ; pollen pulve- 

 rulent, or in grains, more or less coherent, or in waxy masses 

 which are free or provided with a pedicel or caudicle (fig. 460), 

 which adheres to a gland or glands at the apex or rostellum of 

 the stigma. Ovary inferior, often twisted, 1 -celled, with 3 double 

 parietal placentas bearing numerous anatropous ovules ; style 1, 

 confluent with the filaments into the column, which is sur- 

 mounted by a 3-merous, mucous, discoid stigma facing the la- 

 bellum, its lobes alternating with the lines of placentation ; the 

 lateral lobes usually abortive, but sometimes forming divergent 

 processes, the odd lobe more or less developed into a beak (ros- 

 tellum) bearing 1 or 2 glands. Fruit mottly a capsule bursting 

 by 3 valves, bearing the placentas in the middle, separating from 

 the midribs of the carpels, which remain as an open framework ; 



