EPIPACTIS 83 



Doubtless its leaves may have often been mistaken by 

 the novice for the leaves of Hellebore; for the tall, stout stem 

 of Epipactis, with its ovate clasping leaves, sometimes looks 

 at first glance like this common herb. Its scientific name, 

 Epipactis, means Hellebore in Greek, and for lack of a 

 scientific eyej and a more distinctive name, it may grow in 

 many places unknown to botanists. 



The genus Epipactis belongs to the same group as 

 Peramium, Gyrostachis and Listera. It was a genus that 

 Darwin loved to watch, and one on which the great authority 

 on cross fertilisation. Dr. H. Miiller, wrote a memoir. 



The European species that most nearly resembles our 

 rare American Helleborine is Epipactis latiflora, in fact, ours 

 was once called variety viridiflora, of that species; there- 

 fore the best idea we can get of the mechanism of the pollen 

 and stigma is from Darwin's description of Epipactis latifolia. 



It is necessary to tear off the petals and sepals and leave 

 only the jointed hanging lip to see just how the column lies. 



In Plate XXXV., Figs. 2 and 3, a, as seen in the front 

 view as well as the side view, projects well forward, and 

 contains two pollen masses on its under side. Beneath it, 

 with the sticky surface undermost, lies the stigma (j-). The 

 beak or rostellum is formed like a round knob, and projects 

 beyond the stigma and underneath the anther. This knob 

 is covered on its upper side with such a tender membrane 

 that Darwin found he could prick it through with a human 

 hair, and that when he did so, or even without provocation, 

 a slight viscid milk would ooze out, which would render the 



