286 THE JOURNAL OF J30TAXY 



THE PUXJBLEM OF THE BRITISH MARSH ORCHIDS. 



By Colonel M. J. Godfeet, F.L.S. 



(See Joura. Bot. 1919, 137.) 



L.v^T May, near Vence, Alpes Maritimes, France. I found OrcJf/s 

 lotifolia growing in quantitj ; as no other marsh orchid was present, 

 and O. maculata was entirely absent, it was absokitely pure, and free 

 from the complications brought about b}^ hybridization. 



I expectjJ to find a fair proportion of plants with unspotted 

 leaves, and also a wide variation in the markings of the lip. Both 

 these anticipations proved erroneous. I searched repeatedly' and care- 

 fully for specimens with unspotted leaves, but though I examined 

 hundreds of plants, I only found two without spots. The markings 

 on the lip were remarkably uniform, resembling those of our ring- 

 spotted marsh orchid and maculata, but the}'' did not var}' to the 

 same extent as in the latter species. 



Below are given brief characteristics of a number of specimens : — 



1. Average specimen. Height ± 35 cm., spike 6| cm., leaves 

 oblong -lanceolate, +14x3 cm., densely marked with dark trans- 

 verse oval spots ; flowers red-lilac, mid-lobe of lip siuall, triangular, 

 markings dark rv.'d-purple ; spur conico-cylindrical, coloured, laterally 

 compressed. 



2. Spike longer and laxer, mid-lobe slightly longer, sepals faintly 

 spotted, leaf-spots very faint. 



3. Leaves faintly but plentifully spotted with small circular spots. 



4. Abundantly spotted with small ringed spots ; flowers pale, 

 rather large, lip whitish, with dark purple markings all over it, mid- 

 lobe very short, tooth like. 



5. Leaves with very many small faint spots, the larger ones 

 ringed ; spike slender, lax ; mid-lobe long (±4 mm.) narrow. 



G. Leaves densely spotted with small dark spots, lanceolate, rather 

 acute ; flowers pale lilac, with red-purple markings. 



7. Similar, but leaf-spots large, dark, transversely oval, a few 

 ringed. 



8. Leaves very faintly s[)ott:ed ; flowers pale lilac, sepals faintly 

 spotted; sides of lip considerably reflexed; lower bracts e(]ual to 

 flowers ; spur rather slender. 



9. Densely spotted, spots dark; bracts not exceeding flowers; 

 flowers darker lilac. 



10. Leaf-spots few, distant, faint ; flxowers large, dark red-violet ; lip 

 transversely oval, very bright coloured, area within markings whitish. 



11. Abundantly spotted with very small spots ; sjiike dense ; 

 bracts slightly exceeding flowers ; flowers smaller, dark but very 

 bright red- violet ; lip not so broad, markings hardly darker than lip ; 

 spur dark coloured. 



12. Leaf-spots faint, slightly ringed ; bracts exceeding flowers ; 

 flowers pale lilac, markings faint ; enclosed area whitish. 



13. Laaves short, broad, ovate-lanceolate, spots many, oblong, 

 dark, not ringed ; spike dense, conical ; flowers large, pale lilac, lip 

 flatter, mid-lobe short, broadly triangular. 



