GENERAL EEVTE^Y 



OF THE 



ORCHIDEiR. 



MORPHOLOGY OF ORCHID FLOWERS. 



" There is no order of plants," writes Dr. Lindley, " the structure 

 of whose flowers is so anomalous as regards the relation borne by 

 the parts of reproduction, or so singular in respect to the form of 

 the floral envelope. Unlike other endogenous plants, the calyx and 

 corolla are not similar to each otlier in form, texture and colour 

 (as in the Lily, Crocus, Narcissus, Squill, Amaryllis, etc.) ; neither 

 have tlioy any similitude to the changes of outline that are met 

 with in such irrej^ular flowers as are produced in other families of 

 the ^^egetable Kingdom. On the contrary, by an excessive development 

 and singular conformation of one of the petals called the labellum or lip, 

 by irregularities either of form, ^ize, or dii^ection of the other 

 sepals and petals, by the peculiar adhesion of those parts to each 

 other, and by the occasional suppression of a portion of them, 

 flowers are ])roduced so unusual and so grotes([uo in form that it 

 is no longer with the Vegetable l\iugdom that they can be 

 compared, but we are forced to seek reseinblances in the animal 

 world."* 



Besides till' wcIl-kiHiwii instances uf niiniiei-y that dccur ainoiiL;' our 

 native orchids, as the Bee Orchis, (JjiJir//.-; a/ii/cra ; the Fly Orchis, 

 Oplirija iiiu-<cifera ; the Mar ( )rchis, A<-eras anfliro/tn/Jiora : the Frog 

 Orchis, Habenariii riridSs; the lliid's Xest Orchis, Ncoflia Nidus-aru, 

 etc., still more strikiii,^ and cdnsiiicnniis examples are afforded hy species 

 of tropical orchids m1' wliicli tlie InlldwiiiL;- are li,^iired in this work : 



* English Cyclojiivdia, IV., p. 3. 



