Planche 18. 

 Orchid6es. 



Lea orchid ees, un des group es les plus 

 interessants et plus estimes, sont presque 

 toujoura tr6s - richement colorees et repandent 

 surtout le soir one odeur souvent bien forte. 

 Dans leu Alpes il se trouve une vingtaine 

 d'especes, toujours BUT du sol maigre, le betail 

 le dedaigne, sur les paturages ils sont ainsi de 

 mauraises herbes. La Hour presque toujours 

 distinctement bilabiee porte souvent un eperon 

 long et creux, au fond duquel le nectaire est 

 cache. La fecondation des Orchidees se fait 

 seulement par des insectes. 



Fig. 1. Coeloglosse blanchatre. Caracterise 

 par ses petltes fleurs blanches, par la ISvre a 

 peine trifide et par 1'eperon tres court. 



Pres maigres et paturages, souvent entre 

 4es Ericacees 1000 a 2400 in, au 



et dans le Gronland. 



in, aussi en Islande 



Fig. 2. Gymnadene a forte odeur. Eperon 

 anssi long ou un pen plus court que 1'ovaire, 

 gracieusement courbe. 



Pres maigres et marecageux de la region 

 tontagneuse et des Alpes, prefero le calcaire 

 600 a 2000 m. Les fleurs aussi souvent blanches 

 ou d'un rouge clair. Manque dans le haut Nord. 



Fig. a Gymnadene a long eperon. Eperon 

 1 & I 1 /, fois si long que 1'ovaire; comme la 

 precedente, mais dominante dans la plaine elle 

 monte jusqu'a 21CO m. 



Fig. 4. Nigritelle hybride. Hybride entre 

 la Nigritelle et la Gymnadenia conopea, la 

 figure montre que la plante porte des caractdres 

 des deux parents. 



Fig. 5. Nigritelle & feuilles Stroites. Une 

 Orchidee, remarquable par la forte odeur de 

 vanille qu'exhalent ses fours. 



Paturages, gazons, humus, de 1300 a 2600 ra. 



Fig. 6. Orchis brul. L'inflorescence de 

 wtte plante parait comme brulee. Pres maigres, 

 prairioa humides de la plaine juaqu'a 1900 m. 



Plate 18. 

 Orchids. 



Orchids have a floral structure as follows: 

 On the ovary which resembles a flower-stalk 

 there are 6 petals and sepals of which one that 

 is larger and differently shaped has a lip-like 

 structure; it often forms a hollow Spur. In 

 the bud the lip is always turned upwards; in 

 the open flower on account of the twisting of 

 the ovary it is almost always turned down- 

 wards; of the species here illustrated only 

 Nigritella (Figs. 4 and 5) and Epipogon (plate 19, 

 Fig. 5) have a lip which is permanently turned 

 upwards. Opposite the lip stands the column 

 consisting of one stamen and the stigma which 

 is joined to it; the stigma presents a shining 

 sticky surface. 



All orchids are fertilized by insects. 



Fig. 1. White Coeloglossum. Characterised 

 by its small white flowers, the slightly trisected 

 lip, the short spur and the digitate root-bulbs. 



On poor meadows and among heather from 

 10002400 m. Also in Iceland and Greenland. 



Fig. 2. Scented Gymnadenia. Spur as long 

 as or rather shorter than the ovary, prettily 

 arched. Poor meadows, mountain swamps, 

 sub-alpine and Alpine region, espec. on chalk. 



From about 6002000 m. Often with 

 light-red or white flowers. Absent in the far 

 North, 



Fig. 3. Fragrant Orchis. Spur 1 l/ t times 

 as long as the ovary. Habitat as in the 

 preceding, but commoner in the plains, ascends 

 up to 2100 m. 



Fig. 4. Narrow -leaved -Nigritella, ,,Manner- 

 treu". An orchid characterised by its strong 

 scent resembling that of vanilla. The lip of the 

 flower and the quite short spur (nectary) are 

 turned upwards, in most of the other orchids 

 downwards. On grass from about 13002600 m, 

 espec. on chalk. Also in arctic Siberia. 



Light-red specimens are either a variety of 

 this species or a hybrid with a Gymnadenia. 



Such specimens can be determined with the 

 help of the following table: 



a) Spur only */ M lon ? * tne ovary 

 (varieties!) 



Nigritella angustifplia var. rosea Golr 

 (merely colour variety). Spike short 

 and globular, lip triangular with a long 

 straight tip, towards its base rapidly 

 narrowed and only moderately rolled 

 inwards, everything just as in the 

 dark-flowered typical form ! Common. 



Nigritella angustifolia var. rubra Wett- 

 stein (as species). Spike long and 

 cylindrical, lip oviform, with gradually 

 curved tip, towards its base rolled 

 inwards like a cornet. Espec. in 

 the Eastern Alps. 



) Spur Vt as long or just as long as the 

 ovary, the last often somewhat twisted: 

 Hybrid of Nigritella with species of the 

 genus Gymnadenia. 



Fig. 5. Scented Nigritella. (Hybrid of Nigri- 

 tella angustifolia and Gymnadenia conopea). 

 Lip 67 mm long. 



Nigritella Heufleri Kerner (Hybrid of Nigri- 

 tella angustifolia and Gymnadenia odoratissima). 



Fig. 6. Dwarf orchis. Characterised by the 

 flower-head looking as if its upper part had 

 been scorched. - Poor and damp meadows 

 from the plains up to 1900 m. 



5* 



