O p h r y s A P i FERA . B e e O r c h i s .
OPHRYS. Linn. 'Gen. Pi. ed. 3. Gynandriä DiAndria.
ORCHIS. Rail Synopßs, ed. 3. 379. HerbAE BulboSis Affines.
OPHRYS apifera bulbis fubYotundis, fcapo foliöfq, nedtaiii labio qüinqüelobö; lobis fubtus inflexis.
- Hudfon. FL Angl. 340;
ORCHIS, radicibus fübrotündis, labello hoiofericed, emarginato, appendiculatö. Maller, hiß. vol. 2. 1266.
tab. 24. Duas fpecies äpiferam et mufciferam Hudsönis et Halleri fub uno nomine
Infeftifera conjungit Cl . L iNnjeus; Fufchii icon. 56b. Baühin pin. 83. Gerard, etnac. 212.
U ßuibi duo,. fubrotundi, > inæqualesj
^ ’ longis vix fibroiîs fupra inftruâi;
iradieulis * ROOT* two roundifh unequal bulbs, furriifhed at top with
| a few fmall longilh fibres, but little branched.
i
l is femipedalis aut pedalis, teres, Jig. I, fioli’ofus. | STALK from half a foot to a foot high, round, ƒ£. 1, leafy.
i vaginantia, ovato-lanceolata, fubtus fubargen- | LEAVES embracing the ftalk, of an oval pointed ihape,
tea, fibris lineata, faepe mutilata et fufca. | underneath filvery, with linear fibres, frequently
* imperfedt, and of a brown colour.
^CTÈÆ hiagna, vaginantes; virides, Ion,
florisi
1ÉS â tribus ad fex; fpicati;
■ OLLÀ : Pet àla quinque, tria fextetiora reliquis
majora, ovata- concâva, reflexa, purpurafcen-
tia, ferioribus {iallidioribus, fubcarinata, carinâ
Viridi, fig. 2 ; duo interiora exterioribus quadru-
plo niinora, angufta, hirfuta$ pofiice canalicülata',
ad btfin latiora, antrorfum extantia.
^TARII Labéliurri ampluni,, leniter convexum,
fuborbicfilatum, fufco-fericéum, maculis flavis
fréquenter variegatum, quinquelobum, lobis in-
fiexisfig. 3 ; lateralibus fubtriangularibus, hirfutis,
fg. 4 ; medio anteriorum produdtiore, apice re-
curvato flavo, fig. 5 î machina ftaminum five
Stylus longa, fubeiedta, apice incurvata et fur-
fum recurvota, fig. 11, ântice bilocularis, locu-
lîs apertis, fig. 12, anguftis, marginibus albis,
membranaceis, fig* 13/
JINA : F il am e n t A duo, fig. 6, e fqùamulâ iieÔa-
rifera ad bafin Styli exeuntia, nutantia, Stigma-
ti frequenter adhæîentia, fig, 8, bafi glandula
five giobulo albo pellucido inftrudfa, fig. 7;
Antheræ fubrotundæ, flavæ j^ . 9*
|Ii,UM: GermeN oblongum, hexangulare, afigu-
lisobtufis re ft i s ; Stigma, fig. 10, melleo li-
quore obdudtum, cui particulae Antherarum frequenter
adhserent.
3CARPIUM: CAp sul A oblonga, fufca, uncialis,
* fgt 14, unliocularis, figi 16, trivalvis, valvis-
carinatis, figi 15
NA plurima, minuta, oblonga, utraque extrefni-
tate membranacea, pellucida, reticulata, fig. 18,
lente audta, interiori parti carinae longitudinaliter
affixa, fig. 17.
I FLORAL LEAVES large, in the forbi of a jheàth-, green*
; and of equal length with the flowers.
§. . . .. , • . . . .
t FLOWERS frota three to fix, growing in a fpike:
1
: COROLLA : five P e t a l s , the three exterior larger
; ' than the reft, oval, concave; turning back,
purplifh, fbmewhat keel-fhaped, the keel green,
fig. 2 ; the latter flowering paleft the two in-*
terior four times fmaller than the others, narrow,
hairy, hollow behind, broadefi at bottom, and projecting
forward;
, N E C T A R Y ; The Lip of the NéCtarÿ large, forriewhat
convex, roundifh, of a filky brown colour, frequently
variegated with yellow fpots ; having five
lobes, the lobes bending underneath, fig. 3 ; the two
fide lobesfomewhdt triangular and hairy, figi 4; the
middle of the anterior running out to a point,
which turns back, and is of a yellow colour,^.
5 ; the St y le , which in this plant ftipportstne
Stamina, long, upright, at the tip bending downwards,
and again Upwards, fig. 11, anteriorly, having
two cavities which are open and narrow,^.-
i i , the edges white and membranous, fig. 13.
. STAMINA: two F il a m e n t s , fig. 6, arifing from the
bottom of the Style out of a hedtariferious fcale,
hanging down, frequently adhering to the Stigma,
fig. 8, furnifhed at bottom with a fmall
transparent gland or globule, fig. .7 ; the A ntheræ
roundifh and yellow, fig. 6.
PÎSTILLUM : the G erMeN oblong, having fix angles,
the angles obtufe, not twified\ the St ig m a , fig.
10, covered with a vifcid fubftance like honey, to
which fmall particles o f the Antheras frequently
adhere*
SÈÈD-VESSEL : a C a p su l e about an inch in length,
oblong, brown, figi 14, o f one cavity, fig. 16,
and three valves, the valves keel-fhaped, fig. 1 ^
SÈÈDS numerous, fmall, obiong ; at each end membranous,
tranfparent, and reticulated, fig. 18, magnified,
affixed lengthwife to the infide of the
keel of each valve, fig* 17.
&s in the Months of June and July, the Seed is*ripe the latter end of A u g u s t ;
s generally on chalky ground near woods, and fbmetimes in meadows ; is become fb rare about London, as
gtyto be found with any certainty. Mr. Alchorne informs me he has frequently gathered it in the pits behind
'»»Church, and in the woods near Chifielhurfi in Kent: but it is often met with in plenty at a greater diftance from town,
f root appears to poflefs the fame virtues with thole of the Orchis from which Salop is made, but being much
fdt is not worth cultivating on that account. The great reffemblance which the flower bears to a Bee, makes it much
I1 after by Florifts whole curiofity indeed, often prompts them to exceed the bounds of moderation, rooting up
find, without’ leaving a Angle fpecimen to chear the heart of the Student in his botanic excurfions.
I eft time of tranfplanting them is when they are in flower. This, with moft of the 6ther Orchis’s, was cultivated
|Je greateft fuccefs by the late Peter Collinson, Efq; (whofe memory will, always be revered by e-
potanift) in his garden at Mill-hill.— His method was to place them in a foil and fituation as natural to them
» and to fuffer the grafs and herbage to grow round them. . * ,
rro? yet heard of their being propagated by feed ; it is to be wifhed that fbme intelligent Gardiner would
t 0 making fome’ experiments to raife them in this way.
bave often been at a lofsin claffing many plants, to find fome refemblance by which they might diftinguifh
-«Particular fpecies; but in this plant the cafe is otherwife, the flower is fo like the infedt that gives it its
I that it ftrikes . every beholder with admiration ; what ufefol purpofe is intended by it, we do not at prefent
Some future Obferver may perhaps difcover, for they who will examine Nature herfelf, “ have much to fee.”