ORCHIDACE®. 121 
subopposite, sessile, oval, not wedgeshaped nor cordate at the base. 
Flowers in a long rather lax raceme. Sepals and lateral petals sub- 
connivent, the latter ovate-oblong; labellum more than twice as 
long as the sepals, broadly strapshaped, cleft at the apex about half- 
way up into 2 strapshaped segments, but destitute of lateral lobes. 
Column without a crest. 
In woods and bushy places, especially when they are moist, and in 
meadows. Common and generally distributed, but not extending to 
Orkney. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Rootstock shortly creeping, with very numerous fleshy fibres about 
as thick as a bodkin. Stem 1 to 2 feet high, with 2 sheaths at the 
base, and 2 leaves about or below the middle. Leaves 2 to 7 inches 
long, with 3 to 5 strong longitudinal ribs, having fainter ones between 
them. Spike 3 to 9inches long. Bracts scarcely half as long as the 
pedicels, ovate-deltoid, acuminated, yellowish-green. Perianth seg- 
ments nearly } inch long. ‘The lateral sepals are a little removed 
from the connivent upper sepal and petals. The whole of the flowers 
yellowish-green. Stem above the leaves as well as the rachis and 
pedicels pubescent with jointed hairs. 
Common Tway Blade. 
French, Néottie ovale. German, Hiblittriges Zweiblatt. 
GENUS XI—NEOTTIA. Linn. 
Perianth coloured, the five upper segments hooded and connivent; 
labellum turned downwards, not spurred, slightly concave at the 
base, pendulous, bifid at the apex, not contracted in the middle. 
Column rather short, prolonged into a broad flat entire rostellum 
without a process at the apex. Anther sessile, applied to the ros- 
tellum ; pollen-masses clavate-cylindrical, attached to a common gland; 
pollen mealy. 
Herbs with thickened fleshy root-fibres in numerous rows, forming 
a dense mass, and stems without green leaves, but with scarious 
sheaths representing them. Flowers rather large, in a dense raceme, 
interrupted below, pointing in all directions, and, as well as the whole 
plant, dull fawn-colour. 
The name is from veorrea (neottia), a bird’s-nest, to which the fasciculated root is 
compared. 
VOL. IX. R 
