180 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



of by Pliny as being cultivated in Italy. The common Yellow 

 Crocus (C. luteus) and Cloth of Gold Crocus* {C. mcesiacus), 

 C. susianus and others, are well known spring flowering 

 plants. The shrubby species of the family are represented 

 in our greenhouses by Witsenia corymhosa, a native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, which when well grown forms a round 

 bushy plant 2 — 3 feet high, having narrow sword-shaped 

 leaves, growing on woolly branches. It resembles a minia- 

 ture screwpine, and has panicles of pretty blue flowers. 



The Orchid Family. 



(Orchidace^.) 



Plants with special habits, and forms of flowers. 



1. Hypogeous bulbo-corms of various forms, with soft 

 flaccid annual leaves, and flower-stems (herbs). The whole 

 of the British orchids are examples of this group. 



2. Epigeous and epiphytal bulbo-corms (pseudobulbs), 

 with 1, 2, or more firm biennial or perennial leaves {Ly caste ^ 

 Peristeria^ Cattleya, Odontoglossum, Stanhopea, &c.). 



3. Epigeous or epiphytal, generally csespitose, perennial 

 phyllocorms (Neottia speciosa, N. elata, Galanthe, Cymhi- 

 dium, Cypripedium venustvm, and allies). 



4. Fruticuls, epiphytes with distant or contiguous (distichous) 

 leaves successively developed from the apex, of a continuous 

 progressing stem (as in palmids) : {Aerides, Vandas, some 

 Angrcecums, and Vanillas.) 



These represent the principal forms of orchid stems ; but 

 there are many special forms, such as the reed-like stems of 

 Sohralia • the rod and cord-like stems of Dendrohium calceo- 

 laria^ D. Pierardii and allies, which do not well associate 

 with the above, and seem to be characteristic of distinct 

 groups, t 



In Phalcenopsis, Oncidium luridum, 0. Ceholetta^ and 



* The Song of Solomon, chap. iv. ver. 14. 



t Page 14. 



