NEOTTIA SPECIOSA.

Showy Neottia.

1

GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA.-NAT. ORD. ORCHIDEÆ.

GEN. CHAR.-Cor ringens: petalis exterioribus, anticis labello imberbi suppositis; interioribus conniventibus. Columna aptera. Pollen farinaceum. Br.

Neottia speciosa; labello lanceolato indiviso, scapo bracteato, bracteis
flore longioribus, foliis oblongis margine apicem versus undulatis.—
Willd.

Neottia speciosa, WILLD. Sp. Pl. v. iv. p. 72.-ANDR. Bot. Rep. t. 3.-Bol.
Mag. t. 1374-AITON, Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. v. p. 198.

Root composed of several fasciculated fibres, each nearly as thick as the little
finger, and flexuose; from the crown of these rise 5 or 6 rather large,
broadly ovate, bright green, undulated leaves, having a beautiful silky
gloss, and marked with longitudinal veins, which are again connect-
ed by fainter transverse ones; the lower leaves running gradually down
into a sheathing petiole. Scape a foot, or rather more, in height, cylin-
drical at the base, angular above, almost concealed by the large, lanceo-
late, sheathing, coloured scales, which above change gradually into brac-
teas. Spike oblongo-ovate, of numerous, crowded, secund flowers, and
these as well as the bracteas, by which their length is equalled or some-
times surpassed, are of a fine red colour, changing to rose as they advance

in age. Perianth of 6 nearly equal, oblong, linear-lanceolate leaflets, all nearly erect, so as to form an oblong tube, except at the extremity, which is ringent. The three superior leaflets are connivent, and united at their extremities; the two lower ones are very gibbous at the base, and instead of being lateral, as usual in this family, are placed beneath the labellum, almost entirely concealing it, and thus forming one of the essential characters of the genus. Labellum pale reddish, almost white, saccate at the base, its sides embracing the lower part of the column, its extremity entire, acute, grooved and recurved. Column of fructification short, white, its under side pubescent. Anthers parallel with the stigma, long, linear lanceolate, acuminate, 2-celled, and throwing out upon the back of the stigma two long, slender, yellow pollen-masses, which are fixed by the extremity to a lanceolate somewhat horny sheathing appendage to the point of the stigma; they are bipartible, composed of minute, farinaceous bodies, connected together in fours. Germen linear-oblong,

angular, curved. Stigma quadrate, viscid, placed in front of the column, and terminating in a long, spear-shaped point.

Figures are not wanting of this truly beautiful, but in our collections not uncommon, orchideous plant. There exist plates of it in ANDREWs' Botanical Repository, and in the Botanical Magazine, and also a most splendid one in the Plantes Liliacées of M. REDOUTE'. But in none of these are there any representations given of the flower and its structure, which can convey an idea of the characters which constitute the genus.

It is a native of the West Indian Islands, and, it appears, also of the Equinoctial part of the Continent of America. It is easy of cultivation in a rich soil, and in the month of January enlivens the bark-pit of the stove with its charming blos

soms.

TAB. 3.

A, Spike of flowers, nat. size. Fig. 1. Side view of a flower with its bractea. Fig. 2. Back view of the same. Fig. 3. Front view, shewing the anterior segments of the perianth which embrace the lip. Fig. 4. The lip and column of fructification. Fig. 5. Side view of the column. Fig. 6. Back view of the same, the pollen-mass having escaped from the anther, and attached itself by its points to the appendage at the extremity of the stigma. Fig. 7. Front view of the column; a, The stigma; b, The appendage at the extremity. Fig. 8. Anther cases. Fig. 9. Pollen-mass. Fig. 10. One of the granules of which the pollen-mass is composed.-All more or less magnified.

TAB. 4.

Portion of the scape of Neottia speciosa, with the leaves and root. Nat. size.