MORPHOLOGY OF ORCHID FLOWERS. 13 



The flowers are. solitary nr pnuluciMl in racemes (ir in soiiic nioditi- 

 cation of the raceme. 



In the raceme and its moditications, tlie pedicel is nsually very short, 

 the greater part of tlie lengtli lietween tlie base of the footstalk and 

 the base i>f the column being taken up by the ovary. 



The iirary is from its position inferior ; it is more or less twisted* 

 and one-celled with parietal placentation. But in the South American 

 Cypripedes (Selenipedia), Apostasia and Neuwiedia, it is trilocular with 

 axile placentation. 



The perianth consists of six segments, of which the three outer ones, 

 the sepals, are nearly similar and equal, free, or the two lower ones 

 connate (Cypripedium) or all tlirec coherent (Masdevallia), often less 

 brightly coloured than the three inner ones, of Avhich two, the ]>etals, 

 are similar and ei^ual not only to each other but often to the sepals, 

 while the third inner segment, the lahellum, is very dissimilar, usually 

 much larger and often i)roduced at its base into a spur of variable 

 length ; but of whatever form it may always be reduceil to a three- 

 lobed type. 



The stamens and style are consolidated into a gynostemium (.ir central 

 colwint, at the apex of which the anther or })ollinary a])paratus is 

 seated. The peculiar structure of the coluuui will 1)C described under 

 Homologies and Fertilisation. 



The pollen-grains are grouped in innumerable numbers into 2, 4, G 

 iir <S granular or waxy masses of pyriform, discoid or sub-globose shape 

 called iiolliniii that are stalked in a different manner in the dill'erent 

 tribes and are lodged in a chamber called the rliitumlritim ; this 

 cliamber is two-celled, one-celled by absorption of the septum (dividing 

 wall) or even foiu'-celled by more or less perfect secondary septa. The 

 liollinia are usually accompanied by a strap-shaped appendage to which 

 the general name of caadirle has been applied, but which for reasons 

 to be hereafter given can only be retained in a restricted sense. 



Tlie greatest apparent deviation from the general arrangement of the 



i-eproductive organs occurs in Cypripedium which is fully described 



under that genus, f 



As this work may be used by many who have never given any 



attention to Botany and to whom its terminology may to some 



extent be unintelligible, it seems to be a convenient course to 



illustrate by a few examples the various parts of an orchid flower 



ill a manner by which the reader will distinguish them at a glance 



and be enabled to comprehend witli ease the general morphology. 



'■ In many cases the ovary before the expansion of the llower gradually describes an angle 

 of 180"— that is, it turns half way round, whence the Hower is inverted. 



t Cypripedium, page 4. See also Floral Conformation of the genus Cypripedium, l)y Dr. 

 Maxwell T. Masters, iu Journ. Linn. Soc. , vol. XXU., p. 401. 



