MONOTROPA HYPOPITHYS. YELLOW BIRD’S
NEST.
MONOTROPA Hypopithys; floribus lateralibus octandris, terminal] decandr'o: .
M ONOTROPA Hypopithys. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 555. Huds.'Angl. p. 175. ‘L ig h t f Scot. p . 214.
With. Bot. A r r . ed. 4 . vol. 2'.p. 389- Oed. Ft. Dan. t. 232. Llojpm. Germ. ed. 2.
vol. 1. P. l . p . 187. Willd. Sp. PI. vol. 2. p. 573. Smith FI. B r it. p. 440. Engl.
Bot. t. 69• Decand. FI. Rr. ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 921. Fl. Gall. Sun. p. 422. Pers.
Syn. PI. vol. 1. p . 469.
H Y PO P ITH Y S Europea. Nutta ll P I. Amer. vol. l .p . 271.
H Y PO P ITH Y S spica florida nutante. Hall. Helv. n. 1002.
H Y PO P ITH Y S lutea. R a i l ,Syn. p. 317.
B ut. Europische Bladloos. Fr. L e Sucepih. Germ. D e r Fichtensauger. Swed. Luhgort.
Class a n d Ord e r . . DECA N D R IA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Ord e r . MONOTROPEiE, Nuttall. Genus incert® sedis, 'Juss. Decand.']
Ge n . Ch a r . Perianthium simplex, quadri- quinque-petalum, petalis basi cucullatis. A n th e r# uniloculares horizontales,
bilabiate. Stigma orbiculare, peltatum. Capsula quadri- quinque-iocularis, quadri- quinque-valvis.
Semina numerosa, minuta, arillata.
G e n . Ch a r . Perianth simple, o f four or five petals, petals cucullate a t the base. Anthers one-celled horizontal,
bilabiate. Stigma orbicular, peltate. Capsule four- or five-celled, four- or five-valved. Seeds’nume-
. rous, minute, arillate.
H erba tota succulents, sordide-straminea, odorata,
siccitate nigricans.
R ad ix parva, squamosa, radicibus plantarum aliarum
. parasitica (?-) -•
Caulis solitarius, nunc plurimi ex eadem radice, spi-
tham®us ad dodrantalem, camosus, erectus, ■
flexuosus, teres, primum ad apicem nutans, de-
mum post florescentiara erectus, plerumque simplex,
nunc quasi innovationibus subramosus.
Foliorum loco Squam2E numeros®, inferiores minores,
magis imbricate, superiores majores, distantes,
preesertim in plantis adultis, omnia ovate, con-
eav®, appress®, undique insert®, non raro apice
fuse®. Squam® florales, vel Bracte®, caulinis
similes.
F lores in racemum laxum, elongatum dispositi, pe-
dicellati, pedicellis squamatis. (H® squam® calyx
auctorum.)
P er ia n th ium simplex, in flore terminali pentaphyllum,
lateralibus tetraphyllum, foliolis oblongo-ob-
ovatis, obtusis, erectis, conniveptibus, apice pa-
tentibus, crenulatis, basi in sacculo vel cucullo
attenuate.
Stamin a, floribus perianthio pentaphyllo, decern, in
reliquis octo, alternating longiores, omnia pi-
stillo paululum breviora. Filamenta erecta, alba, j
Anthera reniformis, bivalvis, transversim aperiens,
unilocularis.
P ollen sph®ricum.
G erMEN ovatum, quadri- vel quinque-lobum, lobis j
medio longitudinaliter sulcatis, basi glandulis
octo vel decern, staminibus alternantibus. Stylus
brevis, cylindricus. Stigma magnum, peltatum.
Capsula late ovata, nigro-fusca, u t in germine sulcata,
quadri- vel quinque-iocularis, quadri- vel
quinque-valvis, polysperma, valvis medio septi-
feris.
R éCEPTAculum centrale, tetra- vel penta-gorium, spongiosum,
stylo persistente terminatum.
Semina numerosa, minutissima, ovata, fusca, arillo ( ? )
clavato-saccato, membranaceo, pellucido, reticulate
inclusa.
Whole pla n t succulent, o f a dirty yellow colour, turning
black when dried.
Root small, scaly, parasitic on the roots of other plants?
Stem generally solitary, but sometimes many from the
same root, from seven to nine inches high, fleshy,
erect, flexuose, round, originally nodding a t the
apex, but subsequently erect after flowering, commonly
simple, but sometimes slightly branched,
as it were, with innovations.
Scales numerous, occupying the place of leaves, the
inferior ones the smallest, and most imbricated,
the superior ones larger and more distantly placed,
particularly on the old plants, all ovate, concave,
appressed, growing from all sides, not unfre-
quently brown a t their points. Floral scales, or
Bracteas, similar to the cauline ones.
F lowers disposed in a lax, elongated raceme, upon
footstalks, the footstalks scaly. (These scales are
the calyx o f authors.)
P e r ia n t h simple, of five leaves in the terminal flower,
of four in the lateral ones, the leaves oblongo-
ovate, obtuse, erect, connivent, patent a t the
points, crenulated, the base lengthened out into
a small pouch.
Stamens, in the flower which has five petals, ten in
number, in the other flowers eight, alternately
longer, all rather shorter than the pistil. Filaments
erecj, white. Anther kidney-shaped, of
two valves, opening transversely, one-celled.
P o l len spherical.
Ge rm en ovate, four- o r five-lobed, the lobes furrowed
longitudinally down the middle, having a t the
base eight or ten glandules, which are placed
alternately with the stamens. Style short, cylindrical.
Stigma large, peltate.
Capsule broadly ovate, blackish-brown, sulcated like the
germen, four- or five-celled, four- or five-valved,
many-seeded, the valves opening down the middle.
Receptacle central, four or five-sided, spongy, terminated
by the persistent style. • ’
Seeds numerous, very minute, ovate, brown, included
in a clavato-saccate, membranaceous, pellucid,
reticulated arillus ( ? )
Fig. 1. Terminal Flower. Fig. 2. Petal. Fig. 3. Pistil and Stamens. Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Anthers. F ig 7 Pol-
- len. Fig. 8. Pistil. Fig. 9 . Germen of a lateral flower, cut open to show the cells, receptacles and ovules"
Fig. 10. Seeds. Fig. 1 1. Capsule of a lateral flower, bursting open, nat. size. Fig. 12. Capsule’ o f a lateral
flower, with the valves forced back to show the lobed receptacle, to which a few Seeds are attached—«// but
Fig. 11 more or less magnified.