ORCHIS. 193 



minent midrib ; the upper and smaller leaves sheathing at the 

 base. The flowers are disposed in a large terminal, lax, oblong 

 spike ; they are of a rich roseate-purple colour, sometimes 

 white, with a coloured twisted bractea at the base of each. 

 The calyx consists of three leaves or sepals, the middle one 

 ascending, bending forwards, the lateral ones erect, acute, re- 

 flexed back to back, marked with purple veins. The corolla 

 is composed of three petals, the two upper vaulted, the lower 

 or lip (sometimes called nectary) large, three-lobed, and 

 terminating behind in a horizontal, obtuse spur, about as long 

 as the germen ; the centre of the base of the lip is greenish 

 white, spotted ; the lateral lobes somewhat recurved, the mid- 

 dle one smaller, longer, emarginate. The stamen consists of 

 an anther of two oblong cells, fixed to the top of the column 

 immediately above the stigma, each cell containing an obovate 

 stalked mass of pollen, composed of grains which cohere elas- 

 tically, having a gland at the base of the stalk. The ger- 

 men is inferior, oblong, furrowed, spirally twisted, purplish 

 externally ; the style is concreted into a mass or column with 

 the filaments of the stamens ; the stigma is a depressed viscid 

 space around an orifice which leads to the germen. The cap- 

 sule is smooth, shining, oblong, one-celled, three-valved, con- 

 taining numerous seeds attached to the sides of the valves. 

 Plate 37, fig. 2 ; (a) entire flower magnified, viewed sidewise ; 

 (6) column, showing the pollen-masses, &c, magnified ; (c) pol- 

 len-mass isolated, magnified. 



This species of Orchis is frequent in meadows, pastures, and 

 woods in this country, flowering from the end of April to the 

 middle of June. 



Various species of Orchis are mentioned by Dioscorides *, 

 and others of the ancients. The term Orchis is derived from 

 the Greek op^»?» testiculus, in allusion to the form of the tuber. 

 Pliny f mentions the orchis and the cynosorchis, which evidently 

 refer to the plants of this curious genus. In Arabic it is called 

 Sahleb, whence the English w r ord salep is obtained. Gerard 

 calls the species here described Male fool-stones. 



* Mat. Med. lib. iii. cap. 141 et 142. 



•j- " Orchis herba sive serapias, foliis porri, caule palmeo; flore purpurea, 

 gemina radice Testiculis simili." — Hist. lib. xxvi. c. 10. 



