830 



THE ORCHID FAMILY. 



3. Fly Ophrys. Ophrys muscifera, Huds. (Fig. 1001.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 64.) 



A much more slender plant than the 

 two preceding species, with narrow 

 leaves, and a slender spike of 3 or 4 

 flowers. Sepals oblong or narrow-ovate, 

 greenish. Petals very narrow-linear. 

 Column short, without any beak. Lip 

 much longer than the sepals, oblong, 

 convex, of a purplish-brown, with pale- 

 blue or white marks in the centre ; the 

 2 lateral lobes turned down, the central 

 one larger, with a deep notch. 



On dry pastures, in central Europe, 

 extending further east than the last two 

 species, but not near so common in the 

 south. In Britain, spread over a great 

 part of England, and abundant in some 

 of the eastern and south-eastern coun- 

 ties, and has been found in Ireland, in a 

 few localities in Leinster (J. Carroll), but 

 not in Scotland. Fl. spring and early summer. 



Fig. 1001. 



XYI. CYPRIPEBB. CYPEIPEDIUM. 



Rootstock fibrous. Leaves large. Flowers few, with a large in- 

 flated lip. Column terminating in a dilated, incurved, thickish, petal- 

 like lobe, below which are 2 distinct anthers, one on each side. 



A considerable and very distinct North American and Asiatic genus, 

 with one species extending into western Europe. 



1. Slipper Cypripede. Cypripedium Calceolus, Linn. 



(Fig. 1002.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1. Ladys-slijpjper.) 



Stem 1^ feet high, with large, ovate, pointed leaves, the upper ones 

 lanceolate, and 1 or rarely 2 large showy flowers on long peduncles. 

 Upper sepal opposite the lip, broadly lanceolate, 1? inches long, a simi- 

 lar one (formed of the 2 lateral ones combined into one) under the lip ; 



