MALAXIS PALUDOSA. MARSH MAL AXIS.
BBSS H B I H Sübq"‘,e™s “Pice scabris- !“ P» P^tagono, labello concavo acuto. H
MALAXIS 1789. ■ 137. I 6. f . 3. Smith Engl. Bot. t. 73. Fl
jjTit. p . m u . l'y ith. Hot. Avr. ed 4< vin/ © <in ïSsRssI /~< ° . . , ' _ ~zt
0PHRB£ ï !f ^ , ï ï ! : H B H K S 9 a 1 B
ORCHIS minima bulbosa. Raii Syn. p. 378.
Class an d Ord e r . GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA.
[Natural Ord er. ORCHIDEÆ. Just., Decani., Brmm., Hook.:
Gen. Ch a r X aJe«m explanatum, indivisum, sessile (sæpius posticum). Petala quinque angustiora natula vel
deflexa. Massa pollmis quatuor, paralleloe, apicibus stigmati affixæ. B r. in Hort. Kew.’ P
Gen. Char. Lip plane, undivided, sessile, (often exterior) : five segments of the oerianth narrow«. ,.
or deflexed. Masses ofpollen four, parallel with each other, fixed to the stigma by their extremities. f Br™^
Radix bulbis duobus parvis, subrotundis, viridi-albis
pubescenti-squamosis basi radicantibus.
Cauiis vix digitalis, basi solum mod o foliosus, superne
nudus, angulatus (pentagonus ?).
Folia subquatema, late ovata, insigniter concava, sub-
nervosa, basi vaginantia, apice obtusa, papillis
plurimis scabra.
Flores plurimi, spicati, flavo-virides.
BracteIe lanceolatas, germini appress®, atque eo bre-
Corolla : Petala tria exteriora oblongo-ovata, plani-
uscula, ®qualia, viridia; quorum duo superiora
erecta: duo lateralia dimidio minora, recurvata,
viridia: sextum, vel Labellum, posticum, erec-
ovatum, concavum, viridi-lineatum.
Coldmna perbrevis.
Anthera infra apicem inserta, basi, ut mihi videtur
affixa, pallide flava.
Masse pollinis quatuor, flavo-virides, per paria glan-
dula unit®, et apici stigmatis affix®.
Lermen oblongo-pyriforme, basi in pedicellum brevem
attenuatum, costatum, paululum curvatum, non
tortuosum. Stigma vix concavum.
Fig. 1. Flowering, and Fig. 2. Sterile, plants of Malawi
[a thes lip;). Fig. 4. Back view of a flower, (a the lip)
one of the outer and lowermost petals of the corolla,
means of which the pollen-masses are fixed to the extr
the anther-case partially separated, and exhibiting the
with («) the anther-case (which appears to me always
pollen masses. Fig. 9. Extremity of a le a f:—all but
Root consisting of two small, almost round, greenish-
white bulbs, which are rough with liair-like scales
and rooting at the base.
Stem of about a finger’s length, leafy at the base alone
naked above, angular (five-sided ?)>,c;V '•
Leaves generally quaternate, broadly ovate, remarkably
concave, somewhat nerved, sheathing at the base
obtuse at the point, rough with many papill®. *
Flowers numerous, spicate, yellow-green.
Bracteas lanceolate, appressed to the germen and
shorter than it.
Corolla : the three outermost Petals between oblong
and ovate, flatfish, equal, green, the two. upper
ones of these erect; the two lateral petals twice
as small, recurved, green : the sixth, or Lip
placed behind, erect, ovate, concave, streaked’
with green.
Column very short.
An t h e r inserted below the point, or, as it appears to
me, by its base; of a pale yellow colour.
.Pollen-masses four, yellowish-green, united in pairs
by a gland, and fixed to the point of the stigma.
Ge rm en of an oblong pear-shape, narrowed at the base
into a short footstalk, ribbed, slightly curved
not twisted. Stigma slightly concave.
spaludosa ; natural size. Fig. 3. Front view of a flower
• 5- C,olu.mn ° i fructification, with the lip (a), and
±ig. o. Back view of the column, with (a) the gland bv
emity of the stigma. Fig. 7. Front view of the column,
pollen-masses within. Fig. 8. Front view of the column
fixed by its base) forced back to display the whole of the
Figs. 1 and 2 more or less magnified.
1 I ! w t ^correctVn 'I B S H T 5’““ re"dera B instigation extramely difficult
under the fourth d S o f t o B |
lateral than terminal; and the anther-case does^not seem' tn ^ &ec0eilsis- . anther is rather
»toched by its base, opening, however, from the extremity on both L e “ f a llow ttefeTlmgou^of tepoUeu-
M ‘|" ‘bs17 ab»«=-8rao"<i. and from between them is sent down a small