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XXV. On the Neottia gemmipara of Smith. By Charles C. Babington, Esq., 



M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. 8fc. 



Read March 5th, 1844. 



X HE good fortune having occurred to me of being one of the very few 

 botanists who have seen the rare Irish plant called Neottia gemmipara by 

 Sir J. E. Smith, I have drawn up the following description of fresh specimens ; 

 and Mr. Sowerby has kindly presented me with the beautiful drawing repre- 

 sented on the accompanying plate. 



Root of two thick fleshy cylindrical blunt tubers, of about an inch long. At the top of the 

 tubers a bud is usually to be found (not a hybernaculum as represented in Eng. Bot. 

 Suppl.), but it is not remarkable or constant enough to require particular notice. Stalk 

 erect, 5 or 6 inches high, glandular above, bearing two or three smooth triangular-lanceo- 

 late attenuated sheathing small adpressed leaves. The radical leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 acute, shorter than the stem, about 4 in number, covering the lower half of the stalk, 

 2 or 3 inches long; the outermost narrowed considerably below and clasping; the 

 others with a long sheathing base, broadest at the top of the sheath. Spike 1 to l^^ 

 inch long, oblong, dense, erect ; of from 20 to 30 rather large milk-white flowers closely 

 placed in three spirally-twisted rows, and each accompanied by a smooth triangular-lan- 

 ceolate bract, the one or two lowermost of which slightly exceed the length of the flowers, 

 but the rest scarcely equal them. Sepals and two upper petals adhering together and 

 connected through a considerable space from their base in front, their tops free, Unear, 

 blunt. Lip spathulate, blunt, crenate ; its base very broad, thick, glandular exter- 

 nally, channelled by the inflexion of the sides, and almost inclosing the shortly-stalked 

 column, equalling the sepals. Operculum ovate, acute, dark brown, springing from 

 within the hollowed extremity of the column. Rostellum of the stigma deeply bifid 

 with flattened subulate very acute points, having an elongate linear bluntish dark 

 brown appendage (proscoUa) between and extending beyond them. There is a slight 

 blunt projection between the operculum and the rostellum, which seems to represent 

 the intermediate processes which are found in Spiranthes autumnalis and S. csstivalis. 



It will be seen from the above description that the plant under considera- 



2 M 2 



