398 EPIPACTIS PALUSTRIS. PART n. 



a free anther standing like a hood behind the stigma ; 

 the pollen grains are tied together -with threads, and 

 attached to a viscous cap lying on the top of the rostel- 

 lum. The Epipactis palustris is a type of this group of 

 orchids. Its spike is short, and the pink blossoms stand 

 out horizontally from the stem on long ribbed foot- 

 stalks, which contain the ovaries. Fig. 83 A is a side 

 view of the flower in its natural position, with the lower 

 sepals alone removed. The labellum, or lowest petal, is 

 interrupted in the middle by a kind of flexible hinge : 



Fig. 84. Epipactis palustris : c, side view of flower, with sepals and petals and half the 

 labellum removed : D, front view of column : a, anther ; r, rostellum ; *, stigma ; I, 

 labellum. 



the basal part is a cup-shaped trough, at times abound- 

 ing in nectar ; the extreme part is a wavy leaf (fig. 83 B). 

 The entrance to the nectary cup is nearly closed by the 

 hood and the large anther ; but, on account of the elas- 

 ticity of the hinge, the weight of an insect is sufficient 

 to give access to the nectar ; but no sooner is the 

 labellum relieved of the weight, than it springs up into 

 its natural position, and the insect creeps backwards and 

 comes out at the top of the flower with the viscous cap 

 clasped round its proboscis, and the pollen grains at- 

 tached to it ready to fertilize another blossom. Jn 



