The Orchis Tribe. 163 



strength, and sends up a flowering stalk the following year, leav- 

 ing its companion bulb to rest and recruit in its turn. When 

 these bulbs are divided the plant is sure to perish, as has been 

 experienced by taking off the dormant bulb and planting the 

 flowering one in a small pot, where it continued to flourish and 

 produce blossoms; but on examining the earth in the autumn, 

 there was no part of the bulb remaining, whilst those that had 

 been planted with the two bulbs were found as already describ- 

 ed — the one in a shrivelled state, from which the stem was de- 

 cayed, and the other become full and pushing out its stem. The 

 name of Ophrys, which is given to these plants, is derived from 

 the Greek, eyebrow, one species having anciently been used 

 either to blacken the eyebrows or to make them grow. The 

 Ophrys Muscifera — Fly Ophrys, is so named from its great 

 resemblance to a fly, and on this account it is made to represent 

 Error or Mistake in floral language. It is generally in flower 

 from the end of May to the beginning of July ; it has a slender 

 stem, from twelve to eighteen inches in height, and is rarely 

 seen with more than three leaves, which sheathe the stem at the 

 base, which are of a pale green color and lanceolate-shape. The 

 flowers expand in succession, beginning at the bottom, and it is 

 not common to see more than three or four expanded at the 

 same time ; as the lower ones decay, others open higher up, at the 

 spike, until the whole have blossomed. A spike seldom con- 

 tains more than fifteen flowers, and seldom less than four or 

 five. They are thinly scattered on the stem, which adds con- 

 siderably to the deception, for were they numerous it would 

 lessen the effect. The calyx divides with three lanceolate leaves 

 of pale green, out of which issues a corolla or petal, so bent, cut, 

 or painted, as to resemble a fly with its head in the calyx. The 

 velvet-like pubescence of the corolla, and the blue mark dividing 

 the chocolate-color, contribute much to the resemblance of this 

 vegetable substance to an animal body. 



The Ophrys Apifera — Bee Ophrys, the one represented in 

 our plate, flowers about a month later than the Fly Ophrys, and 

 the flowering spike is thicker and shorter than the other, being 

 generally from six to ten inches in height. The flowers are con- 

 siderably broader and closer set, and in shape and color resemble 

 a small humble-bee. The spike seldom produces more than 

 four or six flowers, but, ljjte the other, continues a considerable 



