88 THE ORCHIDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 
gether as we should expect it, but is thrust forward a little, ap. 
parently through some elasticity of the hinge, so that the pollen- 
masses, when the lid is partially open, are found to reacha 
position nearly as far forward as the projecting front of the lid 
did when closed, although on the removal of the pressure it 
will revert to its original position; this again seems to lend its 
aid in the same direction. 
“ Out of nine flowers examined, seven had both pollen-masses 
and stigmatic surface intact; the other two had each their stig- 
matic surface smeared with pollen, and the pollen-masses in one 
wholly, and in the other partially, removed. The plant very 
generally has but a single flower, so that by what has been 
stated it will be seen that with rare exceptions no plant is ever 
fertilized by its own pollen. It is stated by Prof. Gray in his 
Manual of Botany, that the Arethusez all have the fertile anther 
like a lid over the column, and that this is, after a time, decidu- 
ous. It may be questioned on this account whether it might 
not here prove to be directly capable of self-fertilization ; but 
in one plant examined in which the pollen-masses had been 
removed, the stigmatic surface smeared with pollen and the 
petals of the flower quite withered, the lid still remained and 
no loss of elasticity in the hinge was noticed, so that the anther 
probably does not fall off till a period subsequent to the fertili- 
zation of the plant. In another plant, not yet showing any 
signs of decay, where the pollen had been partially removed, 
that which remained was much discolored, and even seemed to 
show signs of decay, as if but a temporary exposure to the at- 
mosphere were injurious to it. 
“This Orchid agrees more nearly with Dendrobium chrysan- 
thum than with any other mentioned by Darwin, but differs 
peculiarly from that in altogether wanting a rostellum, a sec- 
ond of the characteristic features shared by most Orchids 
which is wanting in this plant, the pollinia (having no caudicle 
and disc) being the first.” 
