16t THE JOTJKNAL OF BOTANr 



Park, he would help the clergy at All Saints' or St. Aldhelm's ; after 

 moving to " Chetnole," he assisted at St. Ambrose's, which was con- 

 veniently near. He had lately been failing in health rather rapidly, 

 and passed away quietly on Ma}- 26th. There were largely attended 

 services at St. Ambrose's at 8 a.m. and 11 on the day of the funeral, 

 and the burial followed at the cemetery. Thus ended the long earthly 

 career of one who was known to all his friends as a ver}^ charming 

 and lovable man. 



EdWABD FkANCIS LiNTOIf. 



A NEW MARSH OKCHIS. 

 Bv T. AND T. A. Stephejsson. 



It is doubtless a venturesome thing to name and describe a new 

 species of Marsh Orchis under present conditions ; but the step is 

 not hastily taken. The plants in question have been under con- 

 tinuous study and observation for the last five years, during which time 

 the whole group has been very carefully studied. The determination 

 of the new forms can be best established by a complete discussion of 

 the whole group. This we have worked out and hope to publish in 

 some form or other. To botanists who have decided that O. latifoJia 

 in Britain is a mere jumble of hybrids, this paper will be anathema ; 

 but we ask that the question should not yet be foreclosed. It may 

 also be said that a complete description of all the forms growing in 

 the chief station of form A would greatly elucidate its value ; but 

 space forbids. 



Orchis purpurella, n. sp. 



Form A. Plant short, robust, lO-lo cm. high on an average, 

 rarely 25 cm. Spike short, about 3-5 cm. long. Mature tubers 

 long and tapering. Stem more than half solid. Leaves keeled, 

 lanceolate, rather broad, tapering to a blunt point, with long sheaths, 

 the longest about 7-12 cm. long, the broadest about 1*75-3 cm. 

 wide, with small, often very small solid spots, regularly distributed 

 or often only at the tips of the Is., easily overlooked, never with 

 large spots, rings, or blotches. Lower bmcts purplish, scarcely 

 exceeding fls. Flowers bright red-purple, lip flat, scarcely or not at 

 all trilobed, of a blunt diamond-shape, slightly crenulate, somewhat 

 thick in texture, with rather heavy markings, mostly near the centre 

 line, edges generally incurved, at fii-st quite sharply so, at the very 

 edge, not at all reflexed, about 8 mm. wide and 6 mm. long. Sepals 

 broad, erect, spur very stout, shorter than the ovary. 



Form B differs from form A in having fls. of a duller purjjle, the 

 lip more rounded, rather larger as a rule (10-6 mm. wide, 9-6 mm. 

 long), with a small, cuneiform centre-lobe. 



Forma A. Planta brevis, robusta (12-15 cm., rare super 25 cm.). 

 Spica brevi (3-5 cm.). Tuberis maturis longe productis. Caule fere 

 solido. Foliis fere carinatis, lanceolatis, plus minusve latis, in apicem 

 obtusum contractis, vaginis longis (folia longissima c. 7-12 cm., latis- 

 sima c. l'75-3 cm.), maculis, parvis vel minimis, solidis, aut aBqualiter 



