46 GYNANDRIA— MONANDRIA. Malaxis. 



steep stony bank, sloping to the south, on Hampton Common, 

 Gloucestershire. Mrs. Smith of Barnham House. 



Perennial. June, July. 



Root horizontal/ fleshy, gradually creeping, with numerous fibres. 

 Stem erect, above a foot high, sheathed with a few scales at the 

 bottom, and bearing higher up several lanceolate, tapering, 

 ribbed leaves, above which the stem is more or less downy. 

 Bracieas linear-lanceolate, longer than the germen, which is 

 downy, not smooth. Fl. sessile, very handsome. Cal. and Pet. 

 all directed upwards, ovate, taper-pointed, of a uniform rose- 

 colour, as well as the column. Lip slightly protuberant between 

 the calyx-leaves behind; in front as long as the calyx, but de- 

 flexed ; white, rounded, and doubly lobed, at the sides ; white 

 in the disk with several thin, wavy, elevated ribs ; the point 

 elongated, tapering, acute, red at the edges. Masses ol pollen 

 greyish, oblong, slightly cloven. Stigma peltate, concave. 



The plants composing this very natural genus could be but little 

 known to Linnaeus when he so strangely confounded them in 

 his Species Plantarum. Haller wrote an elaborate paper on the 

 Orchidece, professedly to correct his errors. Hence the present 

 genus especially, comprehended under the Linnsean Serapias, 

 appears materially improved, in the Sy sterna Naturae and Sy sterna 

 Vegetabilium, where Haller's corrections are adopted. Yet the 

 labours of these great men have by no means reached perfec- 

 tion, either with regard to the discrimination of very dissimilar 

 species, or their synonyms. Old authors indeed are so full of 

 mistakes respecting the latter, that the greatest attention is re- 

 quisite to understand what they mean, and they often misunder- 

 stand each other. Recent writers have not been more happy 

 as to nomenclature, which they have rather confounded than 

 improved. 



**** Anther a terminal deciduous lid. 



419. MALAXIS. Bog-orchis. 



Sw. Orch. 68. t. 1 ./. P. Schreb. Gen. 603. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 4. 89. 

 Sm. in Rees's Cycl. v. 22. Fl. Br. 940. Comp. ed. 4. 142. Br. in 

 Jit. H.Kew.v. 5. 208. 



Flower reversed. Cal. superior, of 3 oblong, spreading, 

 equal, permanent leaves. Pet. 2, spreading, oblong, 

 smaller than the calyx. Nect. without a spur, variously 

 shaped, undivided or lobed, longer or shorter than the 

 petals, embracing the column with its concave base. 

 Anth. terminal, hemispherical, deciduous, of 2 close cells, 

 depositing the four masses of pollen upon the stigma. 

 Germ, obovate, angular. Style vai'ious in length ; convex 

 at the back ; flat or concave in front. Stigma close be- 



