﻿424 
  ^ 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Botamj. 
  

  

  past 
  season. 
  Out 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  species, 
  and 
  of 
  P. 
  graminea, 
  

   Gxamiued, 
  not 
  one 
  had 
  the 
  pollinia 
  removed. 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  incapable 
  of 
  

   self-fertilization. 
  Certain 
  ex^oeriments 
  made 
  by 
  me 
  to 
  test 
  whether 
  they 
  

   were 
  fertile 
  with 
  their 
  own 
  pollen 
  were 
  rendered 
  useless 
  by 
  being 
  conducted 
  

   in 
  the 
  open, 
  where 
  the 
  flowers 
  were 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  The 
  rostellam 
  of 
  this 
  orchid, 
  when 
  examined 
  in 
  bud, 
  lies 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  and 
  

   between 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  pollinia, 
  but 
  quite 
  separate 
  from 
  them. 
  At 
  this 
  

   early 
  stage 
  it 
  consists 
  of 
  an 
  oblong, 
  pearly-white 
  body, 
  composed 
  of 
  large 
  

   rounded 
  cells, 
  filled 
  with 
  granular 
  fluid. 
  The 
  pollinia 
  stand 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  

   hollow 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  column, 
  and 
  at 
  this 
  stage 
  are 
  attached 
  only 
  by 
  a 
  

   small 
  posterior 
  ligament 
  at 
  their 
  base. 
  

  

  (7.) 
  Chiloglottis 
  cornuta. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  species 
  the 
  flower 
  is 
  solitary, 
  on 
  a 
  short 
  scape, 
  which 
  lengthens 
  

   after 
  flowering, 
  and 
  is 
  partly 
  covered 
  by 
  an 
  acute, 
  sheathing 
  bract. 
  When 
  

   fully 
  developed, 
  all 
  the 
  parts 
  stand 
  nearly 
  erect, 
  and 
  thus 
  leave 
  no 
  landing 
  

   place 
  for 
  insects. 
  The 
  labellum 
  is 
  acutely 
  trowel-shaped, 
  with 
  one 
  broad 
  

   central, 
  and 
  several 
  narrow, 
  lateral, 
  longitudinal, 
  purple 
  glands. 
  The 
  

   column 
  is 
  curved 
  back 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  and 
  then 
  ascends 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  

   sepal. 
  The 
  stigmatic 
  surface 
  is 
  large, 
  almost 
  circular, 
  quite 
  flat 
  and 
  exces- 
  

   sively 
  viscid, 
  there 
  being 
  no 
  distinct 
  rostellum. 
  The 
  anther 
  is 
  terminal, 
  

   and 
  encloses 
  four 
  plate-like 
  pollinia, 
  which 
  are 
  coherent, 
  and 
  are 
  attached 
  

   by 
  their 
  bases 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  stigma 
  (rostellum). 
  Before 
  the 
  

   flower 
  is 
  open, 
  and 
  while 
  yet 
  almost 
  sessile, 
  and 
  sheathed 
  by 
  the 
  bract, 
  the 
  

   stigmatic 
  surface 
  becomes 
  excessively 
  viscid, 
  and 
  smears 
  all 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  

   the 
  labellum 
  immediately 
  opposite 
  to 
  it. 
  I 
  could 
  not 
  ascertain 
  how 
  the 
  

   pollen 
  got 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  stigma, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  few 
  flowers 
  I 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  examinci 
  

   all 
  four 
  pollinia 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  stigma, 
  and 
  the 
  anther 
  cells 
  were 
  empty. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  flower 
  when 
  the 
  parts 
  are 
  ripe 
  for 
  pollination, 
  

   viz., 
  low 
  down 
  betvveen 
  the 
  two 
  leaves, 
  from 
  its 
  inconspicuous 
  greenish 
  

   colour, 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  viscidity 
  is 
  strongest 
  in 
  the 
  unopened 
  flowers, 
  I 
  am 
  

   of 
  opinion 
  that 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  exclusively 
  adapted 
  for 
  self-fertilization. 
  The 
  

   subsequent 
  lengthemng 
  of 
  the 
  scaps 
  is 
  probably 
  only 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  dispersion 
  

   of 
  the 
  seed. 
  

  

  (8.) 
  Lypcrantkus 
  antardicus. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  orchid 
  the 
  flowers 
  are 
  solitary, 
  or 
  two 
  on 
  a 
  scape, 
  partially 
  

   covered 
  by 
  a 
  relatively 
  large 
  concave 
  bract, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  green 
  colour 
  through' 
  

   out* 
  The 
  posterior 
  sepal 
  is 
  large 
  and 
  broad, 
  arched 
  forward, 
  and 
  covering 
  

   the 
  column 
  like 
  a 
  hood. 
  The 
  labellum 
  is 
  flat, 
  broadly 
  ovate 
  and 
  acute, 
  quite 
  

   glabrous, 
  with 
  two 
  lateral 
  and 
  four 
  median 
  ridges. 
  The 
  column 
  is 
  broad, 
  

   somewhat 
  arched 
  forward, 
  and 
  terminated 
  by 
  the 
  acute 
  anther. 
  The 
  ros* 
  

   tellum 
  placed 
  directly 
  above 
  the 
  stigmatic 
  chamber^ 
  imjpiuges 
  on 
  the 
  base 
  

  

  