THE BIRD’S-NEST FAMILY 
[ORDER XLV. MONOTROPACEiE] 
T HIS family is frequently united with the Heath Family (Ericaceae), from which it differs 
but slightly in the structure of its flowers, the principal difference being in the opening 
of the anthers transversely by valves instead of at the apex by pores, as is usual in the Heath 
tribe. Notwithstanding the similar structure of the flowers the members of the Bird’s-nest 
Family are strikingly different from those of the Heath Family in habit and appearance. They 
are saprophytes — thick, fleshy, succulent plants of a pale yellowish-white or brown colour, without 
any leaves, their place being taken by scale-like bracts. They are called saprophytes because 
they are forced to live on decaying vegetable matter, as their cells contain little or none of that 
matter — chlorophyll — which gives to plants their restful green colour and enables them to take 
in and digest the simple inorganic food material on which they live. They therefore have to 
obtain their food partially digested, and this they succeed in finding in woods in the decaying 
leaves which cover the ground. The order is a very small one and is widely distributed in 
temperate regions in Europe, North Asia, and North America. 
BIRD’S-NEST. (MONOTROPA. Linn.) — Flowers drooping, bell-shaped, fleshy- white or cream- 
colour, in long erect clusters (racemes) or solitary. The terminal flower has 5 sepals, petals, 
and carpels, and 10 stamens, while the others have 4 sepals, petals, and carpels, and 8 or only 6 
stamens. [As described on Plate 6.] Pale brown or yellowish fleshy juicy herbs, deriving their 
food from the decaying vegetable matter that surrounds their roots (saprophytes) ; the stems are 
unbranched (simple) and leafless, terminating in a single flower or a long cluster of shortly 
stalked flowers ; the place of the leaves is taken by brownish or yellowish scale-like bracts. 
( Hypopitys . Scop.) 
Yellow Bird’s-nest, Pine Bird’s-nest, Fir-rape. (Monotropa Hypdpitys. Linn.)— 
The only British species. As just described. The flowers are creamy-white, varying in number 
from 2 or 3 to a dozen, in a cluster, which is drooping until after the flowers are fertilised, when 
it becomes erect ; the sepals are rather shorter than the petals ; the anthers open transversely 
by 2 unequal valves ; and the stigma is concave and finally 5-lobed. The stems are 3-15 inches high, 
solitary or several together, thick, fleshy, yellowish-white, and are clothed throughout with creamy- 
brown fleshy scales instead of leaves. The whole plant turns dark brown when faded. {Hypopithys 
multiflora. Scop. ; Hypopitys Monotropa. Crantz .) 
The Bird’s-nest must not be confused with the Bird’s-nest Orchid (Neottia Nidus-avis), which 
has a perianth of 6 lobes, or with the Broom-rapes (Orobanche), whose petals are united and 
divided into 2 lips (bilabiate). \Platc 6. 
Local. In woods at the roots of fir and beech trees, scattered over England, not uncommon in 
the southern counties, only found in the southern counties of Scotland, and very rare in Ireland. 
June — August. Perennial. 
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