THE FORMS OF ORCHIS MACULATA 123 



Orchis mactjlata L. subsp. ericetorum Linton. 



O. ericetorum varies so much within its own limits, that a brief 

 description of it is difficult. The most common type has a somewhat 

 slender habit, solid stem, and narrow, recurved leaves, arching away 

 from the stem, mostly spotted or blotched, but often without spots. 

 The flower spikes are showy, the bracts inconspicuous. The flowers 

 are of all shades of pale lilac to dark purple, with every possible 

 variety of marking, in the form usually of fine spots and fine lines. 

 The shape of the lip varies endlessly, the only general rule being that 

 the area of the centre-lobe is very small indeed : it may be a mere 

 rudiment. The shape of the whole lip varies greatly ; it may be long 

 or broad-oval, or cuneate or obcordate, with side-lobes scarcely or 

 very much crenulate, in some cases almost frilled. The sepals are 

 spreading or drooping, not at all erect unless quite exceptionally ; 

 erect sepals and thicker spurs may be notes of hybrid origin. The 

 spur is more slender than in any other form, filiform in shape, regular 

 right up to the mouth, sometimes very short, sometimes as long as the 

 ovary and in that case curved. 



An example of the commonest leaf-type is given in figure A : the 

 chief points of difference between it and O. Fuchsii will be seen at 

 a glance. Examples of the form and colour of the lip are given in 

 t. 556. figs. 17-19, and of the side-view in t. 559. figs. 14, 15, & 10 : in 

 the latter plate varieties of the form and pattern of the lip are shown 

 in figs. 1-6. 



The plants vary greatly in size and stoutness, from 1 dm. in 

 height to 1 m. The leaves may vary from 2 mm. to over 3 cm. 

 in breadth ; the upper are pointed and bract-like, the lower increase in 

 length and breadth, the lowest but one or two being longest and 

 often broadest ; or they may be linear, and nearly all of the same 

 width ; in very large specimens they may be flat, or not much keeled, 

 and reach 18-20 cm. in length. They may be linear, lanceolate, or 

 ovate-lanceolate, blunt at the tip or rather acute, often strongly 

 keeled, with or without recurved sides, the whole leaf often curving 

 away from the stem in an irregular arc ; unspotted or with many or 

 few spots, small or large, or very rarely ringed. The bracts are 

 usually slender, though they vary very much with the size of the 

 spike ; on very large spikes they may be quite as broad and long as 

 in the Marsh Orchids. The spikes vary in size from 1*5 to 10 cm. 

 or more. The colour may be pure white, or very pale lilac, and all 

 shades up to bright purple, though generally the paler shades much 

 predominate : the spur 4 to 10 mm. The lip-markings are in 

 narrow lines and dots, in all sorts of combinations ; there may be no 

 lines, but a varying number of dots onhy. In one specimen gathered 

 the whole of the centre of the lip was taken up by a patch of bright 

 magenta. The size of the flowers varies greatly, as may be judged 

 from the following lip-measurements, in which the first number given 

 is the width : — 16 x 10 mm., 15 x 10 mm., 13 x 8 mm., 12 x 9 mm., 

 11 x 11 mm., 9x11 mm., 9x5 mm., 6x7 mm., 6x5 mm., 5x8 mm., 

 5x5 mm., and 4x5 mm. : these are of fairly plentiful t} r pes. One 

 plant we have has almost linear lips, 2x7 mm., another a small lip in 

 which the side-lobes are almost rudimentary ; in another the side- 



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