MOEMODES. • 133 



MORMODES. 



Lindl. Nat. Syst. Bot. Ed. II. 446, ex Bot. Reg. XXII. t. 1861 (1836). Benth. 

 et Hook. Gen, Plant. Ill, p. 552 (1883). 



Mormodes is one of a group of genera characterised by fleshy 

 stems and strange-looking flowers.* Dr. Lindley long ago graphically 

 remarked of this group of orchids, ''that we find among them the 

 most astonishing deviations from ordinary structure and the most 

 startling variations from what appears to be the rule in other parts 

 of the organic world." All this still holds good but in a modified 

 sense, for many of the deviations in form and structure occurring 

 in Mormodes, Catasetum and Cycnoches that were inexplicable puzzles 

 to Lindley and his contemporaries have since been shown to be not 

 mere "freaks" or "sports" of nature, but necessary conditions of the 

 plant's organisation, probably evolved from a simpler state in the 

 course of a long series of ages. 



The most striking floral peculiarities in Mormodes are seen in the 



column and lip, especially in the first-named organ, which is twisted 



one-quarter round so as to cause the anther to face sideways ; the 



beak of the column, or rather the small hinge by which the anther 



case is articulated with the column is so sensitive that when the 



beak is touched ever so lightly, the whole of the pollinary apparatus 



is released and tossed upwards with a jerk to some distance. The 



labellum too is a remarkable organ, and although a polymorphous 



one it always has the same relative position to the column, that 



is, it is bent upwards and inwards and arches more or less over it. 



That this curious contrivance serves an important end in the 



perpetuation of the plant is shown conclusively by Darwin in his 



Fertilisation of OrcJiids.f Space does not permit us to reproduce here 



the lucid explanation giveu by that eminent naturalist of the various 



parts of the flower and the means by which fertilisation is effected ; 



we must therefore refer the reader to the place quoted, and which 



will be found to be not the least interesting part of that remarkable 



work. 



* The group of genera alluded to in the text includes Catasetum. This very extraordinary 

 genus was for a long time the puzzle and astonishment of botanists on account of its unisexual 

 and dimorphous flowers, circumstances at first not even suspected in an orchid. The true 

 characters of Catasetum have since been grailually brought to light as new species were intro- 

 duced and their flowers studied. Nevertheless, very much yet remains to be investigated, for 

 even the extent of the genus is practically unknown, and the sexual states of not more than a 

 dozen of the whole immber of species have been studied. Moreover, the species introduced 

 from time to time into European gardens have hitherto proved intractable and short-lived 

 under cultivation. For these reasons we are not yet prepared to deal with the genus for 

 this work. t Chap. VI. pp. 249— 26r.. 



