1()G THE JOUHXAL OF BOTAXT 



nearly equal size. Spike 4 cm., fairly cylindrical and dense-fld. 

 (20 riowers), lip 6 mm. long and 7 mm. wide. It is bright red- 

 purple, with richer red-purple marks in the centre, of an irregular 

 diamond-shape, with centre lobe scarcely distinguishable, side-lobes 

 faintly crenulate or with slight fissures. Throat wide, pale. Sepals 

 erect, with dark blotches inside. Spur straight, stout, slightly 

 tapering towards the end. Bracts narrow, lowest hardly exceeding 

 flower. There are four points to which special attention may be 

 called : (a) the form of the lip, (h) its colour, (c) the spots on the Is., 

 and (d) the dwarf habit. 



(a) For/n of the lip. The lip is more nearly entire than in any 

 other allied form, of a roughly diamond-shape, more or less broad in 

 proportion to the length. The sides are sometimes much more 

 strongly crenulate than in average specimens, and a slight centre-lobe is 

 found. This is more evident in dried specimens. The outline of the 

 lip may be continuous, but for a slight nick. At any rate, the 

 general appearance of the lip is quite distinct, as the figure will show. 

 Reichenbach in his classification distinguishes this tj^pe of lip as 

 " rhombeilabia," in which he includes O. salina Turcz. and O. cru- 

 eiita Miill. This point is important, because our plant is very near 

 0, cruenta. 



The suggestion will no doubt be made that the pointed lip is due 

 to a cross with 0. Fachsil or O. ericeioruvi. The nearest O. incar- 

 nata are miles away, and all have blunt lips. O. Fuchsii is in 

 the field ; but we doubt its immediate influence on O. purpurella. 

 AVe have seen a good many undoubted hybrids of O. Fuchsii, and in 

 all of them the centre-lobe is long in proportion to the whole \v^, and 

 is marked off from the side-lobes by deep clefts. Col. Godfery, who 

 has seen the plants growing in situ, thinks that they may be a race 

 proceeding from a hybrid of O. incarnata and O. Fuchsii. This is 

 possible ; but in any case we should support the view that we have 

 herfe not merely a batch of primary Iwbrids, but a stable species. On 

 the other hand, the origin of the forms may be due to mutation alone, 

 or to both causes combined. 



(b) The colour of the jiower is a fine, vivid red-purple, with heavy 

 crimson lines and blotches for the lip-pattern. It is more brilliant 

 than any forms we have met elsewhere, though generally of the type 

 of the lip of O. fvcetermissa v. pulchella Druce *, to which it might 

 be referred were it not for the spotted leaves. It does not appear to 

 us that this fine colour points to a hj^brid origin, but rather the other 

 way. The form could hardly be a hybrid with O. pulchella itself, 



-for that form is not found in the vicinity. No doubt a strong colour 

 may appear from the crossing of two pale forms, under certain con- 

 ditions ; but we see no likelihood that such a contingency is to be 

 expected here. A great variety of hybrid forms (of pale with pale 

 orchids and of pale with dark ones) are known, and in all cases the 

 colour is diluted. We have not the least reason to suspect a brilliant 

 colour latent in any form of O. maculata. A mutation of O. in- 



* The form Mr. Druce has called "Northern Incarnata," which (in lit. et 

 herb.) he now considers t) be O. prtpfpniiissa y. piilchdla. It has considerable 

 claims to slxcific rank. 



