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THE OECHIDACEOUS PLA.NTS OF HEREFOEDSHIEE. 



By C. G. Martin, Esq., President. 



Remakkable as our county is for many natural products, it cannot be said 

 that the Orchidacese, particularly the rarer species, are so abundant as they are in 

 some other counties in England. It is a defect which need not be regretted, 

 except perhaps by an enthusiastic botanist. A very slight consideration will show 

 that it may be regarded not only with equanimity, but with cheerful resignation. 

 Orchids are seldom found upon the best soils. Where they abound, the land is 

 almost certain to be of an inferior quality, or indifferently cultivated. On poor, 

 hungry, water-logged pastures, in wet woods and bogs, or upon thin chalky 

 downs, or bare limestone ranges, the Orchids will be generally found growing 

 most plentifully and luxuriantly. The construction of a large proportion of them 

 would lead us to expect this. Plants which have thick, fleshy, bulbous roots and 

 succulent stems, require excessive moisture ; a large proportion of the Orchidaceous 

 group are of such a nature. Instances are known of pastures that once abounded 

 with Orchids which have altogether disappeared, as the result of thorough drainage 

 and better cultivation. We have no bogs in Herefordshire. We have not a wide 

 extent of comparatively useless moorland. We have no chalk -downs. Our lime- 

 stone ranges are too argillaceous, and too poor in carbonate of lime, to satisfy the 

 fastidious requirements of the higher classes of Orchids. In the British Flora the 

 Orchidacese comprise sixteen genera, and thirty-nine species. In our county we 

 have nine genera, and twenty-one species, with possibly four varieties which are 

 disputable. Some of these are very rare, but, so far as I know, many of the most 

 refined, the most highly specialized of the Orchids, have never been found in 

 Herefordshire. My own knowledge of the county is very much limited to the 

 district immediately around our city, but I am greatly indebted to the Rev. 

 Augustin Ley, for much generous and helpful information, as to the habitats of 

 Orchids in other localities to which I have never had access. Of the twenty- 

 one species recorded for the whole county I have found fifteen in our own 

 neighbourhood. 



I will not weary you with any scientitic description or technical details of the 

 Orchid family. You can find them in any "Handbook of the British Flora." I 

 shall endeavour to give a general outline of each plant, and the locality where it 

 has been found, together with anything of special interest in connection with it. 



1. Epipactis latifolia, or Broad-leaved Helleborine, is common in woods and 

 shady places, and blossoms between July and September. The flowers vary 

 somewhat in colour from purplish-green to deep purple. I have found them in 

 Aconbury Wood, Haugh Wood, and Rotherwas Woods. Mr. Ley reports them 

 from every district into which our county has been divided. There is a very 

 curious feature connected with this flower which deserves recognition. Sir John 

 Lubbock says, " This flower has special attractions for wasps ; " and he quotes 



