69 
~ ORCHIS srecrazrus. 
Showy American Orchis. 
_ GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA.—Nav. Onv. ORCHIDEE. 
Gen. Cuar.--Corolla ringens. Labellum basi subtus calcaratum. Glandulae 
(1-2) pedicellorum pollinis incluse cucullo unico.—Br. 
Orchis spectabilis ; radicibus fasciculatis labello ovato indiviso crenato 
obtuso, petalis conniventibus, cornu compresso clavato germine bre- 
viore, bracteis flore longioribus, caule aphyllo. 
O. spectabilis, Linn.. Sp. Pi. p 1337.—Wi.p. Sp. Pl. v. iv. p. 36.——PuRSH, 
Fl. Amer. Sept. v. ii. p. 58'7.—Brown, in Hort. Ken. ed. 2. v. 5. p. 190. 
O. humilis, Micu. Fl. Amer. v. ii. p. 155. , 
Root consisting of several thick, fleshy, brown, tortuose, simple, fasciculated 
fibres. Leaves two, opposite, both springing from the root, and from 
four to six inches in length, broadly obovate, obtuse, pale green, waved, 
- glabrous, with a central nerve, and several parallel ribs or lines, most vi- 
sible on the underside ; the base tapers down into a long narrow kind of 
footstalk. The colour of the upper surface is of a rather deep, but yel- 
lowish-green, the under side paler. | 
Scape about equal in length with the leaves, acutely quadrangular, or, ac- 
cording to NuTTaLt, pentangular, (a circumstance perhaps depending 
- on the number of flowers). In the present instance, the flowers are four 
in number, each subtended by a foliaceous, lanceolate bractea, longer 
than the flower. Petals of an uniform paleish purple color, conniving 
into a galea; the two lateral ones ovato-acuminate, rather the largest and 
free; the three superior ones united. The lip is large, pendant, ovate, 
narrowed at the base, obtuse, raised in the middle, the margins crenate, 
altogether of a yellowish-white color, or with a purple blotch running 
down on each side of the centre: Spur pendant, about as long as the 
lip, linear, compressed, clavate at the extremity, pure white. <Anther 
terminal, large, purple, 2-celled; each cell containing a pollen-mass of dull 
green granules, forming the head ; and tapering down into a narrow pel- 
lucid footstalk, which is inserted into a gland. Germen linear, twisted, 
green, a little longer than the spur. 
VOL. I, 
