REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. The flower spread open.
2. The lip of the honey-cup.
3. The chives and pointal, with the spur of the honey-cup, magnified.
For this luxuriant specimen of the Serapias cordigera we are indebted to the Right Hon. the Marquis of Blandford. It is a rare plant, of a curious structure but very sombre aspect. It is one of those numerous divisions of the class Gynandria approaching the genus Ophrys on the one side, and Neottia on the other. From the Ophrys it is not easily distinguished; but from Neottia it is separated by the difference of its habit. This plant is well known by the title of cordigera, a specific derived from the resemblance the lip of the nectarium is supposed to bear to the shape of a heart: but the analogy is certainly not very powerful. The flowers remain a considerable time in perfection. It is indigenous to Spain, Barbary, Italy, [Pg 87]&c.
PLATE CCCCLXXVI.
MELALEUCA DIOSMÆFOLIA.
Diosma-leaved Melaleuca.
CLASS XVIII. ORDER IV.
POLYADELPHIA POLYANDRIA. Threads in many Sets. Many Chives.