LADY'S SlIPFER. 127 



seminated, as a record nf a former and more simple state 

 oF the great ovcliidean oi-der/' Ha.ving- described the 

 tiower, he says : " As the two anthers stand hehiiul and 

 al)(ive the h)\ver convex surface of tlie sti^'maj it is inipus- 

 sible that the glutinous pollen can get to this^ the fertile 

 surface, without mechanical aid. An insect could reach 

 the extremity of the labellum, or the toe of the slippi.-r, 

 through the longitudinal dorsal slit; but,, according to all 

 analogy, the basal portion in front of the stigma would lie 

 the most attractive part. Now, as the tiower is closed at 

 one end, owing to the toe of the slipper being iipturned, 

 and as the dorsal surface of the stigma, together with the 

 large shield-like rudimentary anther, almost close the basal 

 part of the medial slit, two convenient passages alone are 

 left for an insect to reach with its proboscis the lower part 

 of the labellum — -namely, directly over and close outside 

 the two lateral anthers. If an insect were thus to act — ■ 

 and it could hardly act in any other way — it would in- 

 fallibly get its proboscis smeared with the glutinous pollen, 

 as I found occur with a bristle thus inserted. . . . Thus 

 an insect would place either the flower's own pollen on to 

 the stigma, or, flying away, would carry the pollen to 



another flower We thus see how important, or 



rather how necessary, for the fertilisation of the plant is 

 the curious slipper-like shape of the labellum in leading 

 insects to insert their j^i'obosces by the lateral passages 

 close to the anthers. ■"' The cypripediums alone possess 

 glutinous pollen grains, and \\'\t\\ them the peculiar 

 mechanical construction requisite to the accomplishment of 

 fertilisation. 



The cultivation of the tender species of cypripedium is 

 a simple matter where plant growing is fairly well under- 



