194 ORCHIS. 



Of this beautiful and curious genus, several species are in- 

 digenous to Britain. The green-winged meadow Orchis (0. 

 Morio) somewhat resembles the 0. mascula, but has the follow- 

 ing distinctive characters, " calyx ribbed with green, forming a 

 sort of helmet over the rest of the flower ; spur ascending, 

 blunt, rather shorter than the germen." It is from eight to 

 twelve inches in height, and is frequent in meadows and pastures, 

 flowering in May and June, rather later than the O. mascula. 

 The spotted palmate Orchis (0. maculata), the Marsh Orchis 

 (0. latifolia), and the dwarf dark-winged Orchis (0. ustulata) 

 are also common. The butterfly Orchis (Habenaria or Pla- 

 tanthera bifolia), is not unfrequent in moist copses and pastures 

 in June, and is celebrated for the delicious fragrance of its 

 flowers. The genera Aceras, Gymnadenia, Listera, and Ophrys, 

 whose flowers simulate the forms of various insects, are also 

 well deserving of attention. 



The structure of the flowers of Orchideous plants is, per- 

 haps, as curious and interesting as any that the vegetable world 

 affords. The perianth consists of six pieces, mostly petaloid, 

 in two series ; of which the three outer may be called the 

 calyx, the three inner the corolla ; the upper petal, which by 

 the twisting of the germen becomes the lower, is differently 

 shaped and mostly larger than the rest, and is called the lip, 

 usually terminating behind, at the base, in a hollow appendage 

 or spur. The stamens may be considered as three, of which 

 the two lateral ones are abortive, and united with the style, 

 form a fleshy column, which at the summit bears the two- 

 celled anther, and surmounts the germen or ovary ; hence these 

 plants have been termed gynandrous by Linnaeus, and epigynous 

 by Jussieu. The stigma is a viscid space in front of the 

 column, and is usually situated immediately below the anther. 

 The structure and economy of the root is also interesting. 

 " An Orchis being taken out of the ground is found with two 

 solid masses, ovate or fasciculated, at the base of the stem, 

 above which proceed the thick fleshy fibres which nourish the 

 plant. One of these masses or tubers is destined to be the 

 successor of the other, and is plump and vigorous, while the 

 other or decaying one is always wrinkled and withered. From 

 this withered one has proceeded the existing stem, and the 



