ants Ss pecial Morphology and Classification, 349 
minute.] Our native orchids have a tuberous root (Figs. 119, 120, 
p- 81), and an annual herbaceous stem. The tropical species, on the 
contrary, have often a perennial, and some of them a climbing stem, or > 
peculiar aérial pseudo-bulbs. The amplexicaul or sheathing leaves 
are always entire, usually lanceolate, fleshy or succulent, rarely scale- 
like. The flowers are rarely solitary, usually in spikes, racemes, or 
panicles; and the superior perianth consists of two whorls, each of three 
leaves. Of these the inner whorl is always irregular, and often has a 
spurred lip or Zadel/um, the remaining five leaves of the perianth forming 
together the ga/ea or helmet. The stamens are united with the style 
into a fleshy column or gyzostegizm, upon which the anthers are so 
placed as to stand above the stigma, which is but little developed, and 
consists usually of a large viscid surface. Of the six stamens which are 
probably originally present, only one, less often two, attain perfect de- 
velopment. When only one is thus developed, it is always opposite the 
-labellum ; but when two, then one is on each side of the gynostegium. 
Only a few Orchids have the pollen-grains perfectly distinct ; usually 
they are united together in fours, and these again into granular masses ; 
or the grains are combined by a viscid fluid into a club-shaped mass or 
pollinium within each anther-lobe (Fig. 468, v.). The two pollinia 
terminate at their lower end in a pedicel consisting of the dried-up 
viscid substance, connected together by a viscid gland or vostellum as in 
the bee-orchis, or distinct as in Orvchis Morio. Sometimes the rostelltim 
is concealed in a fold of the stigma. The fruit is a capsule, usually 
dehiscing longitudinally. The numerous very small exalbuminous seeds 
are usually covered with a reticulated testa, and do not contain any 
trace of a cotyledon: In the tubers are mucilage and starch ; Orchis 
Morio, mascula, mulitaris, and other species, yield salep, The fruits of 
some species are rich in aromatic substances ; the officinal vanilla is 
obtained from Vanilla aromatica, planifolia, and perhaps ‘some other 
species from tropical America. [Principal genera :—Dendrobium, Mas- 
devalha, Malaxis, Bolbophyllum, Cattleya, Epidendrum, Odontoglossum, 
Maxillaria, Vanda, Saccoiabium, Stanhopea, Oncidium, Lycaste, Angre- 
cum, Catasetum, Orchis, Serapias, Aceras, Satyrium, Ophrys,. Platan- 
thera, Gymnadenia, Habenaria, Limodorum, Corysanthes, Vanilla, 
Listera, Neottia, Epipactis, Spiranthes, Cypripedium. | 
[Cohort IV. NARcISSALES, Flowers hermaphrodite, regular or ir- 
regular ; perianth usually petaloid ; stamens three or six, inserted on 
the perianth-tube : ovary trilocular; seeds with copious fleshy or horny 
endosperm, and a distinct embryo ; leaves parallel-veined. Principal 
orders :—/ridee (Gladiolus, [ris, Crocus, Tigridia) ; Amaryllidee ( Ga- 
lanthus, Narcissus, Crinum, Pancratium, Amaryllis, Leucojum, Agave). 
