Order Cl
ORCHIDEÆ.
Of all tribes of plants, this is the most singular, the most fragrant, and the most difficult of culture. The flowers are often remarkable for their grotesque configuration, which has been likened to heads and bodies of animals, and for the strange character of their stems, which are sometimes attenuated into a degree of gracefulness scarcely equalled even among grasses, and sometimes contracted into a clumsy goutiness of figure such as is known no where else. The species are found inhabiting the mountains and meadows of the cooler parts of the globe, or adhering by their tortuous roots to the branches of the loftiest trees of the tropical forest, to which their blossoms often lend a beauty not their own. Vulgarly, this last description of plants is called parasitic; they are, however, not so, deriving no support from the juices of the plants on which they grow; but on the contrary, are epiphytes, merely adhering to other plants for support, and vegetating amidst the rich black soil which collects at the foot of all trees growing in a hot humid climate. It is very singular that the pollen of these plants has no parallel, except among the very different and distinct order of Asclepiadeæ. The only medical properties of the order exist in the roots of some of the O'rchises, from which the nutritious substance called salop is prepared. The Vanilla of the shops is the pod of the genus called Vanilla. From the boiled stems of some of the Brazilian species a tenacious glue is obtained, which is employed in many useful purposes.
Tribe 1. 1870 Goodyéra R. Br. 1872 Ponthiéva R. Br. 1871 Diúris Sw.
NEOTTIEE. Lindl. 1873 Neóttia L. 1876 Listéra R. Br. 1874 Spiránthes Rich. 1875 Stenorhynchus Rich.
Tribe 2. ARETHUSEE. Lindl. 1877 Arethúsa L. 1878 Calopógon R. Br. 1879 Pogónia R. Br. 1881 Caleána R. Br. 1880 Epipáctis Sw. 1882 Corallorrhíza Haller.
Tribe 3. GASTRODIEE. R. Br. 1926 Prescótia Lindl. 1930 Vanílla Sw. 1859 O'rchis L. 1863 Glóssula Lindl. 1864 Anacamptis Rich. 1860 Nigritélla Rich.
NATURAL ARRANGEMENT.
Tribe 4. 1865 A'ceras R. Br. 1866 O'phrys L. 1869 Serápias R. Br. 1855 Dísa Sw.
OPHRYDEE, Lindl. 1861 Habenária R. Br. 1858 Gymnadénia R. Br. 1857 Platanthéra Rich. 1867 Chamórchis Rich.
Tribe 5. VANDEE. Lindl. 1923 Calánthe R. Br. 1917 Aérides Sw. 1913 Octoméria R. Br. 1916 Vánda R. Br. 1892 Maxillária Fl. per. 1915 Sarcánthus Lindl. 1901 Camarídium Lindl. 1922 Aeránthes Lindl. 1902 Ornithídium Salisb. 1921 Angræ cum Pet. Th. 1904 Pholidóta Lindl. 1919 Ionópsis Kth. 1910 Ornithocéphalus Hook. 1918 Renanthera Lour. 1909 Cryptarrhena R. Br. 1885 Cymbidium Swz. 1887 Lissochílus R. Br. 1888 Geodórum Jacks. 1895 Oncidium Sw. 1898 Macradénia R. Br. 1886 Brássia R. Br. 1896 Cyrtopódium R. Br. 1889 Catasétum Rich.
Tribe 6. EPIDENDREE. Lindl. 1911 Blétia Fl. per. 1907 Epidéndrum L. 1914 Brassavóla R. Br. 1906 Cattleya Lindl. 1912 E'ria Lindl. 1868 Hermínium R. Br. 1862 Bartholína R. Br. 1856 Satýrium W. 1920 Eulophia R. Br. 1891 Xylóbium Lindl. 1908 Polystachya Hooker 1890 Trizeúxis Lindl. 1883 Rodriguézia Fl. per. 1884 Goméza R. Br. 1893 Notýlia Lindl. 1905 Broughtónia R. Br 1903 Isochilus R. Br. 1894 Pleurothallis R. Br.
Tribe 7. MALAXIDEE. Lindl. 1897 Cælógyne Lindl. 1925 Maláxis L. 1928 Líparis Rich. 1929 Calypso Salisb. 1924 Stélis Sw. 1900 Dendrobium H.K. 1899 Anisopétalum Hooker 1927 Micróstylis Nutt.
Tribe 8. 1931 Cypripedium W.
Tribe 8. CYPRIPEDIEE.