ORCHIDACE^-ORCHIS FAMILY 



Orchidaceas are a group of perennial plants so organized as to 

 be absolutely dependent upon insects for fertilization. Failing 

 of insect help they cannot mature seeds. The flowers are always 

 irregular and often fantastic in shape, on the plan of three. The 

 perianth has three sepaloid divisions which are outer and three 

 petaloid segments which are inner. One of the inner set differs 

 more or less in form from the others and is called the lip. This 

 lip is really the upper petal, but by a twist of the ovary it is com- 

 monly directed forward and downward. Before the lip is the 

 column composed of one stamen, or of two stamens and a rudi- 

 ment of a third, variously borne on the style, or thick, fleshy 

 stigma. The fruit is a one-celled, three-valved capsule filled 

 with innumerable minute seeds appearing like fine sawdust. 



CYPRIPEDIUM. LADY'S SLIPPER 



CypHpidium. 

 Cypripedium, the Slipper of Venus. 



Root. — Of many tufted fibres. 



Leaves.— 'L&rgt, many-nerved, and plaited, sheathing at the base. 



Flowers.— So\\ta.xy or few, large and showy, the lip becoming a large 

 inflated sac. Sepaloid segments spreading; all three distinct, or usually 

 two united into one under the lip. Petaloid segments three; one becom- 

 ing the large sac, the other two resembling the sepaloids, only narrower. 



Co/mww.— Declined; on each side a fertile stamen with its short 

 filament bearing a two-celled anther. On the upper side is a dilated, 

 triangular, thickish body which covers the summit of the style. 



5%wa.— Terminal, broad, obscurely three-lobed, moist and rough- 

 ish. 



PoWm.— Viscid, adhering to whatever touches it. 



