128 MALAXED. OhjU?. V. 



CHAPTER V. 



MALAXED AND EPIDENDEEiE. 



Malaxis paludosa—Masdevallia, curious closed flowers — Bolbophylluin, 

 labellum kept in constant movement by every breath of air — ^Dendro- 

 bium, contrivance for self-fertilisation — Cattleya, simple manner of 

 fertilisation — Epidendrum — Self-fertile Epidendreas. 



I HAVE now described the manner of fertilisation of 

 fifteen genera, found in Britain, which belong, accord- 

 ing to Lindley's classification, to the Ophrese, Arethu- 

 sese, and Neotte£e. A brief account of several foreign 

 genera belonging to these same tribes has been added, 

 from observations published since the appearance of 

 the first edition of this book. We will now turn to 

 the great exotic tribes of the Malaxeae, Epidendrese, 

 and Vandese, which ornament in so wonderful a 

 manner the tropical forests. My chief object in 

 examining these latter forms has been to ascertain 

 whether their flowers were as a general rule fertilised 

 by pollen brought by insects from another plant. I 

 also wished to learn whether the poUinia underwent 

 those curious movements of depression by which, as 

 I had discovered, they are placed, after being removed 

 by insects, in the proper position for striking the 

 stigmatic surface. 



By the kindness of many friends and strangers I 

 have been enabled to examine fresh flowers of several 

 species, belonging to at least fifty exotic genera, in 

 the several sub-tribes of the above three great tribes.* 



* I am partiuulaily indebted to Dr. Hooker, who on every oooa- 



