76 The Irish NaUiraJist. July, 1924. 



This statement Col. Godferj' says is "an inversion of the facts — the 

 bud does not precede the tuber but the tuber the bud." 



Mr. Mousley who lives in a district particularly rich in orchids — 40 

 species and varieties growing within a few miles of his house — and who 

 has been studying their underground development of the various species 

 for some time past, finds that his experience with Spiranthes Romanzoffiana 

 differs considerably from Col. Godfery's " and in a minor respect " also 

 from Drummond's. He illustrates his various points with beautiful 

 photographs and sets out his conclusions in the following passage : — 



" Summing up the result of my studies, it seems evident to me that, 

 in the main Drummond was right in what he said, although I do not agree 

 with him ' that in the Spring each bud puts forth a pair of oblong knobs 

 . . . . and becomes a separate plant.' I maintain that these buds are 

 put forth in the fall of the year, as is clearly shown by my photograph 

 taken at that period, and not in the Spring, and that there is no such 

 thing as each bud becoming a separate plant." 



Col. Godfery's conclusions and Mr. Mousley's are so interesting 

 I have set them out here in the hope that those of our northern 

 botanists, who have access to the places where Spiranthes Romanzoffiana 

 grows, may be induced this coming season to make some investigations, 

 which will perhaps throw further light on the subject. 



Towards the close of his paper Mr. Mousley has also something to 

 say about the apparent differences between the north and south Irish 

 forms of Spiranthes Romanzoffiana. He suggests that the differences 

 may be due to habitat. " .... it is evident [he says] from tracings 

 of dried plants from near Cork, kindly sent me by Dr. Stephenson, of 

 Winchester, that there is some difference between the south Irish plants 

 and the ones I take here at Hatley in wet boggy ground, although they 

 are very similar to others I have found at Coaticook, about nine miles 

 from here, in drier loamy ground. The tubers of these latter plants 

 are much thicker, and the leaves much broader as a rule, and not so 

 long as those of the plants growing in the wet boggy ground at Hatley ; 

 in fact, they appear to be very similar indeed to the south Irish form, 

 so far as I can judge from the tracings. As regards the plants from 

 the North of Ireland, it seems pretty well agreed, I think, that they are 

 practically, if not entirely, the same as we get in North America, i.e., 

 with the long narrow leaves as a rule, although I understand Dr. 

 Schlechter keeps the Irish form apart from the American, not as a final 

 decision, but merely because of the great geographical distance." 



M. C. Knowles, 

 National Museum. 



