11 
SERAPIAS Lingua. 
Tongue-lipped Serapias. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA— Nat. Ord. ORCHIDEM. 
Gen. Char — Corolla ringens. Lahellum ecalcaratum. Columna cuspidata. 
Pedicelli pollmis inserti glandula unica cucullo inclusa.— J?r. in Hort. Kerv. 
Serapis Lingua; labello tripartito, laciniis lateralibus obtusis erectis 
conniventibus, media oblonga lanceolata acutiuscula glabriuscula 
dependente.— Willd. 
S. Lingua, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1344. — ^Willd. Sp. PI. v. iv. p. 70- — Ait. Hort. 
Kerv. ed. 2, v. 5. p. 195. 
The root of this plant consists of one large, nearly spherical, plump and 
fleshy tuber, with a smaller shrivelled one by its side, and above these a 
few rather thick, carnose, simple fibres. Stem 8 inches to 1^ foot high, 
flexuose, leafy. Leaves lanceolate, the middle ones long and narrow, 
smooth, pale green, obscurely nerved ; the uppermost passing gradually 
into bracteas. 
Spike composed of from 2 to 5, or even 8 inclined jiowers, each subtended 
by a lanceolate and acuminated, sheathing, purplish-green, large hractea. 
Perianth of 5 narrow, lanceolate and much acuminated, connivent, united 
leajlets, the 2 innermost being very narrow, and scarcely separable from 
the upper one ; their colour is a pale yellow-green, with purplish red 
lines. Lip large, and 3-lobed, yellowish-white at its base within, and 
having, just where it joins on to the receptacle, an oblong, deep purple 
tubercle or gland (Fig. 3.), the 2 lateral hbes broad, erect and incurved, 
fine purple colour, almost wholly covered by the galea; middle lobe ob- 
longo-ovate, rather acute, pendent, or even reflexed, a little waved, yel- 
lowish-white, pubescent at the base, the margin reddish. Column of 
fructijication rather lengthened, yellowish-green, running out into a long 
attenuated point beyond the Anther. Germen somewhat clavate, not 
twisted. Stigma broadly ovate, viscid, in the front of the column. Anther 
fine yellow, obovate, 2-celled, with one little point at the base, in which 
is inserted the single gland, bearing the 2 yellow pollen-masses (Fig. 5.) 
The two species of Serapias, S. Lingua and S. cordigera, 
have a very close affinity with each other, and are scarcely to 
be distinguished but by the larger size of the latter, and the 
VOL. I. 
