38 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



but also a raised moulding in the centre, confluent with the side- 

 bosses, giving a generally triangular effect. This is also seen in 

 tigs. 11, 12, 15, and 16. In figs. 11, 15, and 22 we have what we 

 suppose would be generally called smooth side-bosses ; figs. 8, 12, 

 and 21 show the most rugose types. 



It will be seen that the smoothest types are as smooth as E. ?•//•/- 

 dijlora, and the most rugose as rough as E. atropurpurea, though in 

 the second case very differently wrinkled. In figs. 23 and 25 the 

 side-bosses are only a little rugose, whilst in rigs. 10, 13, and 21 they 

 are almost pea-like. In fig. 14 they are the least elevated and 

 figs. 13, 17, and 21 the most elevated. In fig. 16 (c/'. fig. 3) the lip 

 runs up into ears. 



By way of illustrating the distribution of the many types it may 

 be noted that rigs. 12, 15, and 17 were growing close together in a 

 wood near Aberystwyth, and with them plants of still other types — 

 one with a very large cent v e-boss, another with a very small one, and 

 one with a narrow but rugose ridge. There were many differences in 

 the leaf-type. 



The colour of the flowers varies considerably. The sepals are 

 usually of a dull green, giving to the plant a dingy appearance. 

 From this they pass to various shades of dull, or sometimes bright 

 red-purple. The figures given by Camus in bis monograph of the 

 Orchids of Europe (1908) have the flowers bright red, both for 

 E. viridijlora and E. latifolia ; in Britain such bright colours seldom 

 occur. The lip is of many shades of red-purple or lilac, sometimes 

 white or greenish white : Mr. A. D. Webster speaks of a fine white 

 variety of E. latifolia, found in North Wales, of which we have not 

 seen specimens. The amount of light does not seem to make much 

 difference to the tint; we have seen under the same bush, in Bower 

 at the same time, a pure green spike next to a bright purple one. 

 We have found purple flowers in deep shade and dull green ones in 

 profusion by the road-side, in quite sunny positions. At Southpbrt 

 the pale green viridijlora grows right out in the open, receiving every 

 hour of sunshine. 



We trust we have given enough evidence that the distinctions of 

 E. latifolia and E. media, as mostly given in British floras, entirely 

 break down. All these forms, as also atroviridis, must without doubt 

 be assigned to E. latifolia. 



We have now to summarize the work recently done on the nomen- 

 clature of the group, by which it has been conclusively shown that, 

 whatever be the relations of the British forms, E. media, both of 

 Fries and Habington, must be given up. 



It would appear that Fries founded " media " on the characters 

 of plicate-crenate lip-bosses and tapering (not revolute) apex of the 

 lip, whilst Babington emphasized more the narrower, evenly graduated 

 leaves. We have seen that no such differences hold good for British 

 forms. 



Flies (Mantissa altera, 1839, 55) gives three forms of his species 

 media: " (a ) floribus albis. Serapias micropJiylla Bot. Dan. non 

 Ehrh. Serapias latifolia y albens Wahl. Suec. p. 589. (b) floribus 

 viridibus. Ser. ciridiflora Reich. Ic. f. 1142 sec. Koch, (c) Mori- 



