1197 



OPHRYS* araneifera; mr. limbata. 



Bordered Spider Orchis. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. Orchide;e. § Oplirydese. Lindley. 



OPHRYS. — Suprd, vol. 3. fol. 205. 



O. araneifera ; labello emarginato integro convexo pubescente inappendi- 



culato subrotundo mutico : disco maculate, perianthio herbaceo : petalis 



ovatis pubescentibus sepalis duplo brevioribus, foliis glaucis. 

 O. araneifera Auctorum. 



Var. limhata ; macula disci sinuata limbat£i antice biloba medio ocellata. 



This pretty variety of O. araneifera was sent to the 

 Horticultural Society, in 1826, by Signor Mauri, of Rome. 

 It is figured chiefly for the purpose of shewing the differ- 

 ences that exist between it and Ophrys atrata, represented 

 at Plate 1087. It is perhaps the same as Sir James 

 Smith's O. fucifera; but of that species we have not seen 

 any authentic specimens which will justify us in absolutely 

 referring it hither. The Kentish 0. araneifera varies so 

 much in the figuring, and outline of its labellum, that we 

 can scarcely doubt O. fucifera being a mere variety of it. 



A hardy, perennial spring plant, when wild loving to 

 grow in chalky soil among short grass ; or, if cultivated, in 



a pot in a well-aired frame. 



J. L. 



The form of the flowers of some of the plants formerly referred to 

 Ophrys is said to have a resemblance' to the eyebrow, i^^vt in Greek. In 

 what the resemblance consists, we confess our inability to discover; espe- 

 cially if the original Ophrys was, as is supposed, the plant now called 

 Listera ovata. 



