325 



Darwin as saying that, " if wasps were to become extinct in any district so would 

 E. latifolia.' 



[Vat. E. media, or Intermediate Helleborine. Var. E. ovalis. Var. E. 

 purpuraia. Babington considers these varieties the same as E. latifolia, the 

 dififereneps being so trifling as not worthy of being classed as separate species.] 



2. Epipactis pahtstris, 01 "Marsh HeWehoTme. This is a beautiful flower. The 

 florets are few, whitish, tinged with crimson, somewhat drooping, and they grow 

 in a lax spike. It is rare ; flowers in July and August ; and grows in wet meadows 

 and marshes. In our county it has been found at Eidgway Cross, Cradley, and I 

 have found it in the Checkley Valley, Mordiford. Lees, in his " Botany of 

 Malvern," says " it is plentiful at Tedstone, on the banks of the Sapey brook." 

 It has also been gathered on the rough moors, Mansel Gamage, at Burghope, and 

 on the Moseley Common, Pembridge. 



3. Cephalanthera grandiflora, or Large White Helleborine, is a rare and hand- 

 some plant. The flowers grow in a distant spike, and appear during May and 

 June. They are of large size, sometimes as pure as snow, sometimes greenish- 

 white, but more frequently delicately cream-coloured, with a small yellow lip 

 marked with raised lines. The leaves are broad and bright-green. Until recently 

 it was reported from only two localities in Herefordshire, Huntsham Wood, and 

 Lord's Wood, on the Great Doward. But at our last field meeting, Dr. Wood, of 

 Tarrington, brought some fine specimens which he found in the parish of Canon 

 Frome. 



4. Cephalanthera ensifolia, or Narrow-leaved White Helleborine. This is a 

 rare plant of mountainous woods on limestone. The Rev. Frank Merewether 

 brought me three or four plants in 1865, to ask me its name. The next day, by 

 arrangement with him, I went to Woolhope, and he took me to the spot in Haugh 

 Wood where he found it. Every year since, about the end of May or the beginning 

 of June, I have gone to the same place and found it growing pretty plentifully. 

 The only other place in Herefordshire where it has been gathered is Huntsham 

 Wood. (Miss Lewis, of Ludlow, informs me to-day she has found it at Bringe 

 Wood, near Ludlow, within the county of Hereford). It is a very elegant plant, 

 blossoms somewhat spiked, white, the lip with slightly elevated lines on the disk, 

 and a yellow spot in front. 



5. Listera ovata, or the Common Tway- Blade. This, though inconspicuous, is 

 one of the commonest of our Orchidaceous plants. (Specimens produced). It is 

 readily distinguished by its two broad, glossy, ovate leaves, sometimes from three 

 to four inches long, about half-way up the stem. It varies in height, according to 

 the locality where it grows, from six to eighteen inches. The flowers are green, 

 and they form a long loose spike, quite unattractive in appearance. But though 

 it has so modest a bearing, there are few of our Orchids that are more interesting, 

 and none of them show more contrivance and design in their structure. Hooker, 

 Darwin, Sprengel, Sir John Lubbock, Dr. Miiller, and others have spent hours at 

 a time in watching its mechanism ; and Darwin devotes no less than thirteen pages 

 ("Fertilizationof Orohidsby Insects,"p.p. 139—152) to his description and dia- 

 grams of it, and remarks upon it. It has great attractions for insects. 



