THE ORCHIS TRIBE. 35 



beautiful object, its brilliant scarlet flowers 

 forming a most striking contrast with the dark 

 green leaves of the plant by which it is sup- 

 ported. But the most interesting and remark- 

 able parasites, or rather epiphytes, with which 

 we are acquainted, are the singular species of 

 the Orchis tribe, which abound in the tropical 

 forests of South America, and the south-east 

 of Asia. " Seated on the branches of living 

 trees, or resting among the decayed bark of 

 fallen trunks, or running over mossy rocks, or 

 hanging above the head of the admiring tra- 

 veller, suspended from the gigantic arm of some 

 monarch of the forest, they develop flowers of 

 the gayest colours, and the most varied forms, 

 and often fill the woods at night with their 

 mild and delicate fragrance. For a long time 

 such plants were thought incapable of being 

 made to submit to the care of the gardener, 

 and Europeans remained almost ignorant of 

 the most curious tribe in the whole vegetable 

 kingdom. But it has been discovered of late 

 years, that by care and perseverance they may 

 be brought to as much perfection in a hot- 

 house as they acquire in their native woods, 

 and they now form the pride of the best col- 

 lections in England." The celebrated air-plants, 

 so highly esteemed by the inhabitants of China 

 and Japan, are epiphytes of this kind, natives 

 of those countries, but which have the remark- 

 able power of obtaining sufficient moisture from 

 the atmosphere to maintain them in a luxuriant 

 condition for weeks and even months, when 



