160 WAYSIDE WEEDS. 



veined plants of the petaloid monoootyledonSj we 

 should mention that singular-looking plant the 

 Herb Paris (Fig. 99), which those who have, the 

 chance of exploring damp moist woods may find in 

 blossom in the month of May. The straight stem, 

 the four, sometimes five ovate leaves arranged in h 

 whorl or circle, fii'om the centre of which springs the 

 flower scape, and the flower not being composed of 

 three or sis pieces, are characters which combine to 

 give us a very odd but interesting member of the 

 present set of plants, and one whieh cannot be mis- 

 taken for any other member of the British Flora. 

 Oddities, too, in their way, are the members of the 

 next family, the bright and beautiful but very 

 singular orchids. These plants have been so exten- 

 sively and successfully cultivated of late years, that 

 most of our readers must know some of the forms 

 and appearances of foreign members of the tribe, 

 even if they know not by sight the common " king- 

 cups," or purple orchis of our meadows, the sweet- 

 scented white butterfly orchis of our hiU pastures, or 

 some of the rarer and more singular forms, such as 

 the bee and spider orchis, which abound in certain 

 localities, more particularly in the south of England, 

 and on chalky soils. Without digressing into many 

 interesting particulars, we must confine ourselves to 

 get the essential characteristics of the order, from 

 the common early purple orchis, the Orchis mascula, 

 which purples many of our meadows in the month 



