THS 



BOTANIST. 



Vol. I. 



BIKGHAMTON, N. Y., JULY 1, 1881. 



No. VII. 



ORCHIDS. 



BV. JESSIE C. DREW, THOMPSONVILLE, CONN. 



The order Orchidacese is one of the 

 most interesting of the floral orders. 

 The diversity of form and color of the 

 flowers, and their curious manner of 

 fertilization, combine to make them ob- 

 jects of interest to even the mo3i casual 

 observer. 



The flowers of all orchids, although 

 very different from those of other mon- 

 ocotyledons, are formed on one common 

 plan. The conformation of the flower 

 consists essentially of a six-parted peri- 

 anth, the three outer segments corre- 

 sponding to a calyx, the three inner 

 ones to a corolla. These segments ap- 

 parently spring from the top of the ovary, 

 the explanation, however, is that the 

 end of the flower-stalk as it grows, di- 

 lates into a tube inclosing the ovary, so 

 that it appears to be beneath the per- 

 ianth. Springing from the inside of the 

 perianth are six stamens. These en- 

 circle a style which is the continuation 

 of the ovary. 



An orchid flower generally has an in- 

 ferior ovary, a six-parted perianth, and 

 one stamen and style. One of the in- 

 ner pieces of the perianth grows much 

 longer than the rest and is called the 

 lip or "labellum." The one stamen 

 (two in Cypripedinin) unites with the 

 style and forms the column, bringing 

 about the condition technically called 

 gynandrous. The pollen, instead of 

 consisting of separate cells or grains, is 

 united into "pollen masses." These 

 modifications of the type are commonly 



met with ; others not so well known con- 

 sist in the twisting of the ovary, and in 

 the uniting of certain parts of the per- 

 ianth. 



The showy orchis {Orchis spectabilis) 

 one of the earliest orchids is found in 

 damp places early in May. From be- 

 tween two oblong-obovate leaves rises 

 a four-angled scape bearing several 

 pink-purple flowers with an ovate lip of 

 snowy white. Gray gives the following 

 account of its fertilization : 



"The pollen coheres in numerous 

 coarse, waxy grains, which are collect- 

 ed on a cobweb-like elastic tissue into 

 two large masses (one filling each anther 

 cell) borne on a slender stalk, the base of 

 which is attached to a gland or sticky 

 disk of the stigma, the two glands con- 

 tained in a common little pouch or 

 hooded fold, placed just above the ori- 

 fice of the spur or nectary. These 

 glands stick fast to the proboscis of a 

 butterfly or some such insect introduc- 

 ed into the nectar-bearing spur; when 

 it flies to another flower, it drags out of 

 the anther and carries with it the pollen 

 ]nasses, and applies them to the stigma 

 of the second or several succeeding 

 flowers, thus effecting cross-fertiliza- 

 Jion." 



The Arethusa, a beautiful pink orchid 

 growing in our bogs, is dedicated to the 

 nymph Arethusa, as it is said she was 

 turned into a fountain, and where each 

 drop of water touched the earth a flower 

 sprang up. The Pogonia ophioglossoi- 

 des resembles it and is more common. 

 The stem bears one leaf near the mid- 

 dle and a smaller one or bract by the 



