MORPHOLOGY OF ORCHID FLOWERS. 



27 



the coluuni aj)pear.s to terminate in a |)rocess tliat very much resembles 

 the head and beak of a bird, as in Phalsenopsis, Aihides, Peristeria, 

 etc. Sometimes it is the rostelhim or modified stigma that is beaked 

 or elongated in a remarkable way, as in Ornithocephahix 'jmndijlorus, 



Phala-nopsis Lowii. 

 With beaked anther. 



and many other instances might be quoted to show the almost endless 

 chairge that jiervades nearly every organ of an orchid flower. The 

 column is often concealed by other parts of the flower, by the sepaline 

 tube in ;^^asdevallia, by the convolute labellum in many Cattleyas 



(Jalauthi: Masuca. 



A, flower viewed from above witli tlie anther case removed, sliowiiig tlie eiglit pollen ma.sscs in their proper 

 position. 



B, pollen masse.s attached to the viscid disk, seen from the under side. 



C, flower in same position as in A, but with the disk and pollen masses removed, showing the now divided 

 rostellum and the empty clinandrium. 



)), pollen masses ; s x, the two stigmas ; n , mouth of spur or nectary ; /, labellum ; rf, viseid disk 

 d, clinandrium with pollen masses removed. 



(From Darwin's FiiiVisotion af On-hids. 



and Ltelias ; also in Phains, Thunia, Trichopilia, etc. In many genera 

 the colunm is more or less [)roduced beyond the point of union with 

 the ovary into a kind of foot as in Dendrobium, Bulbophyllum, Aeridcs, 

 Phalsenopsis, IMaxillaria, etc. ; it then greatly influences the form and 



