A XKW ^fAT^SIT ORCUTS 



165 



distributis aut juxta apicem congregatis. Bracteis inferioribus vix 

 flores excedentibus, piirpMrascentibus. Floribus colore claro purpureo- 

 rubente, labello piano, integro vel obscure trilobato, foi-ma obtuse 

 rhomboidea, miniine creuulato, textura aliquanto crassa, maculis 

 plermnque perspicuis et juxta lineam inediam sitis, raarginibus 

 sjBpissime incurvatis, praesertim juxta marginem, nunquam reflexis, 

 long. c. 6 nun., lat. c. 0-8 mm., calcare eximie crasso, breviore quam 

 ovarium, sepalis latis, erectis. 



Forma B (a forma A) dlffert colore minus claro florum, labello 

 minus integro, plus rotunda to, siiepe majore (10-6 mm. lat., 9-6 mm. 

 long.), media loba parva, cuneiforma. 



It will be best to discuss Hrst form A, about which least difficulty 

 is likely to arise. It grows near Aberystwyth, in a very old hill- 

 pasture, along with several other species of Orchids, which include 

 O. prcefermissa (Druce), O. latifolia L., 0. ericetorum Linton, and 

 O. Fuchsii Driice. It is a vigorous and flourishing plant of which 

 many scores of individuals are growing with but slight range of 

 variation amongst themselves, and very distinct from all other plants 

 on the ground. The habit is dwarf, about 12-15 cm. being the usual 

 height of the plant. 



Sketches of enlarged flowers of O. incarnata and 0. purpurella 

 to show main features. 



A. 0. purpurella, Ambleside form. 



B. O. pui-purella, Aberystwyth form. 



C. 0. incarnata, a common rose-pink form. 



Note the flatter and broader Hp of purpurella, with less regular pattern. The 

 rendering in black and white is necessarily very harsh and the pattern looks 

 too marked without its coloured background. 



A rather large specimen measures 16 cm. above the ground, and 

 20 cm. including the tubers. Tubers 4 cm., narrow, tapering into 

 roots. Sheaths dark. Stem slightly hollow. Leaves seven m num- 

 ber, the two topmost narrow, bract-like, the highest just reaching 

 the base of the spike, the longest 75 cm., the widest 17 mm. They 

 are slio-htlv hooded and keeled, with numerous very small spots ot 



