78 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



France (Meslin, J.B. p. 217 (1928), with plate). Colonel A. M. Forbes thinks it is 



identical with plants found by him on sand-dunes near Le Coq-sur-Mer in Belgium. 



Nieuport Bains, Belgium (Houzeau de Lehaie, in lit.). Pomerania (J.B. p. 273 (1928)). 



Epipactis dunensis Godfery, J.B. p. 66 (1926) (with plate). Helleborine 



viRiDiFLORA Wheldon and Travis, J.B. pp. 307, 343 (1913)- Epipactis 



LEPTOCHiLA Godf. var. DUNENSIS T. and T. A. Stephenson, /.J3. p. 205 (1921). 



There is no creeping rhizome or root. There is sometimes a small irregular mass 

 at the base of the stem in old plants. The root-system is extremely poor, the roots 

 often only 4-6, though one specimen had ten. The leaves arch outwards, and spring 

 back smartly if displaced. Lower bracts up to 9-nerved. Ovary with a few short 

 hairs in its earher stages. The flowers are more or less campanulate, and never open 

 wide, in bad weather sometimes not at all. The cup gUstens with nectar. The polhnia 

 are at first friable, globules of pollen falling into the flower. Their upper parts swell 

 and come over the edge of the stigma on each side, forming a fluff"y yellow mass. 

 There is a small projection in the middle of the upper edge of the stigma which 

 supports the rosteUum, if the latter is developed, which is not often the case. The 

 viscid secretion of the stigma is very copious and thickens into a lip below; it some- 

 times forms a sort of stalactite at one or both sides, or in the middle. 



Messrs Wheldon and Travis fixst observed tliis plant in Britain, and published an 

 excellent description under the name Helleborine viridiflora (J.B. p. 343 (i9i3))> and it 

 was identified by the late Mr Rolfe at Kew as E. viridiflora Rchb. As shown under 

 E. leptochila, E. viridiflora Rchb. is a mere variety of E. latifolia, has a large rostellum, 

 and is entirely fertilised by insects. It is also a woodland plant. 



E. dunensis difi"ers from E. latifolia as follows : 



E. latifolia E. dunensis 



Roots numerous in a tassel, rather thick, soft. Few, slender, wiry, hard, deeply buried. 



starting near the surface. 

 Sheaths at base of stem close-fitting. Loose, often obliquely funnel-shaped. 



Leaves all round the stem at an angle of 120° Leaves in two opposite ranks, stiff, resilient, 



with each other, weak, not folded. ± folded. 



Flowers large, opening wide. Smaller, remaining bell-shaped. 



Sepals long, spreading. Shorter, not spreading. 



Petals pale rose or red-purple. Green. 



Epichile rose or dull red-purple. White, tinged green. 



Roj-/f////;;'/conspicuousin all flowers, large, pol- Usually absent, if present, weak and in- 



Unia at once affixed to anything touching it. effecdve. 



Never self-fertilised. Nearly always self-fertilised. 



Pollen never coming over the edge on to the Pollen always coming over. 



stigma. 

 Testa of seed 8-10 times as long as broad, 4-5 times as long as broad. Mesh open. 



narrow. Mesh compressed laterally. Easily distinguishable from latifolia. 



