EPIPACTIS YIRIDIFLORA REICH. 30 



Lahellum shorter than sepals + 10 mm. long, 4 mm. broad. IJ^ypo- 

 chile small, nearly circular, 4 mm. in diameter, 3-4 mm. deep, green 

 within, mottled with jmle pinkish red near the base, edges semi- 

 transparent, wavy, irregularly crenate. Einchile cordate acuminate, 

 with a long acute point + 8 mm. long by 4 mm. broad, greenish, 

 w^hite-bordered, not deflexed ; bosses distinct, low, rugose, vvhite, 

 sometimes tinged faintly with pink. Column rising in a curved nib- 

 shaped stalk (filament) in the centre at the back, on the apex of 

 which stands the anther ; on each side is a V-shaped incision in the 

 wall of the column, the anterior side of which rises into a tooth or 

 staminode at its junction with the stigma. Anther ovate, with a 

 bluntly-pointed empt}^ apex, projecting for upwards of half its length 

 over the upper edge of the stigma. Stigma transversely oblong, a 

 prolongation of the front of the column, not supported on a pedestal 

 at the back as in E. latifolia ; upj^er edge sloping slightly downwards 

 from the centre to the tooth (staminode) at each corner. EosteUum 

 present when the flower first opens, but functionless, quickly disap- 

 pearing, leaving a brownish mark. 



The gland contains viscid matter, but this is too weak to remove 

 the pollinia ; moreover, it does not appear to come in contact with 

 them, for, instead of being opposite their united apices, it lies, owing 

 to the forward position of the anther, opposite the V-shaped space 

 between the downward-diverging pollinia, so that the latter, in 

 sliding downwards, pass over the viscid gland without touching it. 



As compared with the forma vectensis Stephenson, the following 

 differences are observable : — 



Yar. LEPTOCiiiLA. Stems clustered, 20-70 cm. tall, pubescent 

 below, rather densel}^ so above. Leaves yellow-green or dark green, 

 lower ovate, sometimes broadly lanceolate. Lower bracts twice as 

 long as flowers. Baceme many-flowered, up to 23 cm. long. Flowers 

 as large, and opening as widely as in E. viotacea. 



Forma tectensis. Stem solitary, delicate and slender, almost 

 glabrous below, slightly pubescent above. Leaves grey-green, lower 

 lanceolate to elliptic lanceolate. Lower hracts never much exceeding 

 the flowers. Raceme lax, few-flowered. Flowers small, green, never 

 opening so widely as in violacea. 



In English Botany, ed. 3, ix. 123, E. media " Fries " Babing- 

 ton (as sub-spec. I of E. Hellehorine Cr.) includes two forms : — - 

 var. CI. viridis (E. viridijlora Hoffm. is quoted as a synonym) and 

 var. f>. pur pur at a Sm. i^E. violacea^. The question therefore requires 

 consideration as to whether E. viridijlora and E. violacea are in 

 reality forms of one species. They are in some respects more closely 

 allied than E. viridijlora and E. latijolia, as they agree in two 

 remarkable characters in which the}^ both differ from the latter ; they 

 have a similar root-system — a knotted rhizome with fleshy rootlets 

 growing from the nodes at diflterent levels (in latijolia the rootlets 

 spring from the base of the stem at the same level), and the older 

 plants have clustered stems, at least this is so in the variety lejjto- 

 chila. The following comparison shows the main points of difference 

 between the two plants : — 



