ORCHID FAMILY 



471 



1. 0. apifera (Bee-Orchis). — A curious and beautiful plant, 

 about a foot high, with short, oblong, mostly radical leaves and 3 — 

 6 flowers in a loose spike, with large, leafy bracts ; sepals white or 

 pink, spreading, ovate ; lip velvety, broad, brown, variegated with 

 yellow, convex, 5-lobed, the 2 lower lobes hairy, the 2 lateral 

 anterior ones bent under the lip and the terminal one long, acute, 

 and usually also reflexed ; pollinia falling forward and pollinating 

 the stigma of the same flower. — Open places on calcareous soil ; 

 uncommon. No one who has heard that plants exist bearing the 

 names of this and the three following species can well doubt their 

 identity should they fall in his way. — Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



2. 0. jucifldra (Late Spider-Orchis). — A closely similar species 

 chiefly difl"ering in the lip, which is long, velvety, dark purple 

 variegated with yellow, with a flat, heart-shaped, green, ter- 

 minal lobe. — Chalk downs in Kent and Surrey ; very rare. — Fl. 

 April— June. Perennial. 



3. 0. sphegodes (Spider-Orchis). — A somewhat smaller plant 

 with fewer flowers ; green sepals ; and deep brown hairy lip with 

 smooth, yellowish markings and a notched apex without terminal 

 lobe. — Chalk downs in the south-east ; rare. — Fl. April, May. 

 Perennial. 



4. 0. muscifera (Fly-Orchis). — A slender species, about a foot 

 high, with few oblong leaves; flowers 1 — 12, in a loose spike; 

 sepals green ; lateral petals thread-like, resembling the antennae of 

 a fly ; lip oblong, 3-lobed, brownish-purple with a bluish patch in 

 the centre. — Shady places on calcareous soil ; uncommon. — Fl. 

 May — July. Perennial. 



14. HERMfNiUM (Musk-Orchis). — Leafy plants with ovoid 

 tubers ; few leaves ; sessile flowers ; perianth leaves incurved, lip 

 anterior, 3-lobed, pouched ; pollinia 2, distinct, with large, naked 

 glands. (Name from the Greek hermin, a bed-post, from the 

 shape of the tubers.) 



I. H. Monorchis (Musk-Orchis). — A diminutive plant, generally 

 4 — 6 in. high, with stalked tubers ; slender stem ; radical leaves 2, 

 lanceolate, cauline i ; flowers minute, green, smelling like honey- 

 in-the-comb by day and like musk at night ; sepals ovate ; lip 

 narrow, 3-lobed, pouched at the base, terminal lobe longest. — 

 Chalky downs in the south ; rare. — Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



15. Habenaria. — Leafy plants with sessile flowers with a hood ; 

 lip anterior, spurred ; pollinia 2, distinct, with naked glands. 

 (Name of doubtful etymology.) 



T. H. conopsea (Sweet-scented Orchis). — About a foot high; 

 tubers palmate ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, keeled ; flower- 



