S, 4 
NEOTTIA spEciosA. 
Showy Neottia. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA.— Nat. Obd. ORCHIDEM. 
Gen. Char. — Cor ringens : petalis exterioribus, anticis labello imberbi sup- 
positis; interioribus conniventibus. Columna a^tesa.. Po/few farinaceum, 
Br. 
Neottia speciosa ; labello lanceolato indiviso, scapo bracteato, bracteis 
flore longioribus, foliis oblongis margine apicem versus undulatis. — 
WiUd. 
Neottia speciosa, Willd. Sp. PL v. iv. p. 72. — ^Andr. Bot. Rep. t. 3. — BoL 
Mag. t. 1374 — AiTON, Hart. Kern. ed. 2. vol. v. p. 198. 
Root composed of several fasciculated fibres, each nearly as thick as the little 
finger, and flexuose ; from the crown of these rise 5 or G rather large, 
broadly ovate, bright green, undulated leaves, having a beautiful silky 
gloss, and marked with longitudinal veins, which are again connect- 
ed by fainter transverse ones ; the lower leaves running gradually down 
into a sheathing petiole. Scape a foot, or rather more, in height, cylin- 
drical at the base, angular above, almost concealed by the large, lanceo- 
late, sheathing, coloured scales, which above change gradually into brac- 
teas. Spike oblongo-ovate, of numerous, crowded, secund flowers, and 
these as well as the bracteas, by which their length is equalled or some- 
times surpassed, are of a fine red colour, changing to rose as they advance 
in age. 
Perianth of 6 nearly equal, oblong, linear-lanceolate leaflets, all nearly .erect, 
so as to form an oblong tube, except at the extremity, which is ringent. 
The three superior leaflets are connivent, and united at their extremi- 
ties ; the two lower ones are very gibbous at the base, and instead of 
being lateral, as usual in this family, are placed beneath the lahellum, 
almost entirely concealing it, and thus forming one of the essential cha- 
racters of the genus. Labellum pale reddish, almost white, saccate at 
the base, its sides embracing the lower part of the column, its extremity 
entire, acute, grooved and recurved. Column ot fructification short, 
white, its under side pubescent. Anthers parallel with the stigma, long, 
linear lanceolate, acuminate, 2-celled, and throwing out upon the back 
of the stigma two long, slender, yellow pollen-masses, which are fixed 
by the extremity to a lanceolate somewhat homy sheathing appendage 
to the point of the stigma ; they are bipartible, composed of minute, fa- 
rinaceous bodies, connected together in fours. Germen linear-oblong, 
VOL. I. 
A 
