O CRYPTOPHORANTHUS. 



curiosity than from any other cause^ till the late Mr. Darwin showed 

 that the remarkable structure of its flowers rendered it more worthy 

 of attention than it had previously received. He pointed out that 

 the manner in which the flowers are fertilised was altogether 

 unknown, and that he himself failed to make it out satisfactorily. 

 As already stated, the plant has thus acquired a special interest 

 for all those who observe the wonderful contrivances existing 

 throughout the whole race of orchids for the purpose of securing 

 the perpetuation of the species. No apology is needed for intro- 

 ducing here Mr. Darwin's account of the flower of this curious 

 species : — 



Cryptophoranthus atropurpureum. 



" Masdevdllia fenestrata is an extraordinary flower, for the three 

 sepals always cohere together and never open. Two minute lateral 

 oval windows, seated higli up in the flower and opposite each other, 

 aflbrd the only entrance into the flower; but the presence of these 

 two minute windows shows how necessary it is that insects should 

 have access in this case as with other orchids. At the bottom of 

 the roomy and dark chamber formed by the closed sepals, the minute 

 column is placed, in front of which the furrowed labelhnn stands, 

 with a highly flexilile hinge, and on each side the two upper petals. 



