ORCHIDACE. 99 
at the base, and spotted with darker purple, 3-lobed; the middle lobe 
(in the Channel Islands plant) shorter than the lateral lobes, truncate 
or emarginate and more or less crenulate; spur cylindrical, nearly 
straight or slightly incurved, truncate or obtuse, horizontal or ascend- 
ing, about half as ‘long « as the ovary. 
_ In meadows and marshy places. Frequent in the Channel Islands, 
especially about Cobo in Guernsey, and St. Ouen’s Pond, Jersey. 
Channel Islands. Perennial. Early Summer. 
’ Rootknobs from the size of a black currant to that of a damson 
plun. Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, not aggregated in a radical rosette 
as in all the preceding species, but distr ibuted over the stem, which is 
J to3 feet high. Spike 3 to 9 inches long, resembling that of O. 
Morio, but more lax. The flowers are of a very rich crimson-purple, 
like that of O. Morio. Sepals about } inch long; the labellum rather 
Jonger, and with the central lobe truncate or deficient in the Jersey 
plant, = isaie is the true O. laxiflora, as distinguished from O. palustris 
(Jacq.): the latter has the central lobe of the labellum as long as, or 
longer than, the two lateral lobes, the leaves narrower, and the bracts 
Tonger ; fae the two forms are only subspecies—if not mere varieties. 
Lax-flowered Orchis. 
French, Orchis a fleurs laches. German, Lockerbliithiges Knabenkraut. 
SPECIES X—ORCHIS PALMATA. 
Pirates MCCCCLVII. MCCCCLVIII. 
“Orchis latifolia, Benth. Handbk. Brit. Fl. ed. ii. p. 459. Hook. & Arn. Brit. FI. ed. 
| vill. p. 434, 
; 
. 
| 
_ Rootknobs palmately cleft, compressed. Stem hollow. Leaves 
lanceolate or oblong-elliptical, acute or subacute, spotted with purplish- 
Diack or immaculate. Flowers in a dense oblong-cylindrical slightly 
tapering blunt spike. Bracts herbaceous, 3-nerved, the lower ones or 
all of them equalling or exceeding the flowers. Lateral sepals reflexed 
upwards, the upper one and the ani connivent, all of them acute or 
obtuse, dull purplish-crimson or lilac or purplish-rose, with purple 
Tibs; labellum about as broad as long, with tlie sides reflexed, dull 
a erimson or lilac or purplish-rose, paler at the base, and 
spotted or lined with purple, obscurely 3-lobed or subentire; the 
middle lobe narrower than the lateral lobes and equalling or ex zeeding 
them, the lateral lobes entire or erose; spur cylindrical or conico- 
cylindrical, nearly straight or slightly decurved, shorter {jan the 
ovary or about equal to it. 
b: _ 
