with its lateral auricula?. Upon the supposition that the so called petals
are really the external series of the androeceum, it becomes almost
necessary to consider all the stamens ever present in Orchidaceae, as
belonging to one and the same series, of which the central stamen is
complete in the majority of the order, and the two lateral ones in Cypripedium,
and this seems to be confirmed by the triandrous monster of
Platanthera already referred to, in which Dr. Brown describes the additional
stamens as opposite the lateral sepals. Nevertheless this acute observer
is of opinion that the one perfect stamen in the monandrous genera,
and the two ot Cypripedium, belong to different series. This theory is
founded partly upon the position of the stamina in Apostasia, a genus
which cannot be considered actually to belong to the order, and in
which of three stamens, two are described as being perfect and opposite
the lateral petals, while one is sterile and opposite the intermediate sepal,
and partly upon an appendage of the labellum found in Glossodia, Epiblema,
&c., to which Zygostates may now be added. But in the first place
an argument relating to a question of this kind must be regarded with
much suspicion, if founded upon the condition of the parts in a genus not
belonging to the order, and secondly, I do not see how it is possible to
affirm with confidence to which division of the perianthium the perfect
anthers are really opposite in Apostasia; had not so very careful a
botanist as Dr. Brown asserted that they are opposite the sepals I should
have described them as being opposite the lateral petals, in which case
they would correspond with the supposed position of the absent stamina
in Orchidacea?. With regard to the supposition that the appendage of
the labellum, so common in many genera, and so remarkable in those
already mentioned, is a sterile stamen, it may be observed that there is
no proof of its being of such a nature; and it is quite conceivable
that it may be a mere superficial dilatation of the labellum, the lamellae
and varicose veins of which afford frequent evidence of a great tendency
to the formation of superficial appendages, which 1 should rather
regard as analogous to the corona of Silenacese, or more correctly to
the bearded crest of Iris. It may be added that the relation born by
the carpels to the stamens is unfavourable to the supposition of there
bein<* more than one series of the latter within the so called petals, as
will be explained hereafter.
In the greater part of the order a single ANTHER terminates the
column. This is usually two-celled, but often has its cells divided into
two or four other cavities, by the extension of the endothecium between
the lobes of the pollen masses, or is occasionally more or less completely
one-celled by the absorption of the connective. In Ophrydese it is erect,
with a distinct connective and with the bases of the cells either parallel
or diverging, and then its cells dehisce along their face. In Neottieae it
is also erect, but appears to be dorsal instead of terminal, in consequence
of the stigma being placed before it for its whole length. In the remainder
of the order it falls prone upon the head of the column or
the clinandrium, like a lid, and often is easily detached; sometimes
this kind of anther originates from the margin of the clinandrium, sometimes
from within the margin, in which case it is occasionally covered
as by a hood, as in Cryptarrhena and other genera.
The P O L L E N consists of lenticular or spheroidal grains, either single
or cohering in pairs, threes, or fours, or in larger masses in indefinite
number. The grains are usually held together by an elastic filamentous
substance, which in all Ophrydeae, and many others, forms an. axis
round which the grains of masses of grains are arranged, and which
in a very large part of the order assumes the appearance of a strap or
caudicula. This body either contracts an adhesion with a gland originating
on the margin of the stigma, as in Ophrydese, Neottieae and
Vandeae, or it is folded upon the pollen masses as in Epidendreae, or it
terminates in an amorphous dilatation as in many Malaxideae. In all
cases it consists of cellular tissue, sometimes very lax and large and
thin-sided as in Polystachya ramulosa, more generally very compact,
tough, and thick-sided; towards the end which adheres to the stigmatic
gland the tissue becomes elongated, but otherwise it is more or less
lenticular. In Ophrydeae the caudicula is extended towards the base
of the anther-cells; but in all the other divisions of the order, the
caudicula, when present, is lengthened in the direction of the apex of
the cells.
The pollen grains are filled with spherical molecules, having a
motion on their own axis when suspended in water, and of unusually
large size. Mr. Bauer generally represents them as escaping from the