VII.] 



ORCHIS. 



163 



"rostellum," and those of thfe two lower ones are 

 often confluent, so that they appear like one. 



Orchis mascula (Fig. 120) is perhaps our commonest 

 species. 



Fig. 121 represents the side view of a flower from 

 which all the petals and sepals have been removed, 

 except the lip (/) half of which has been cut away, 

 as well as the upper portion of the near side of 



Fig. 120 — Orchis mascula. 



the nectary («). The pollen forms two masses 

 (Figs. 121, 122a, and 123), each attached to a taper- 

 ing stalk, which gives the whole an elongated pear- 

 like form, and is attached to a round sticky disk (Fig. 

 123^), which lies loosely in a cup-shaped envelope or 

 rostellum {/). This envelope is at first continuous, 

 but the slightest touch causes it to rupture transversely, 



M 2 



