So NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



nectar contained in the hypocliile. This infrequent development of a rosteilum is a 

 very curious fact. Is it incipient or disappearing — an early stage of development, or 

 the reversion of a previously insect-fertihsed plant to self -fertilisation? Extended 

 observation alone can show. It is possible that E. dmensis was a wholly self-fertihsing 

 form which became crossed with E. latijolia at some time in the past, and that the 

 rare occurrence of a rosteUum is a relic of hybridity. 



6. Epipactis rubiginosa Crantz 



PI. II. E. atrorubens Schultes 

 Dark red Helleborine 



Rhizome thick, hard, dark brown, i- rarely 2-stemmed. Roots many, long, slender, 

 sinuous, acute, pale brown, sometimes forming a swelling from which fresh rootlets 

 spring, and no doubt also a fresh plant; younger roots have dense short hairs. Stem 

 (in Britain) short, stumpy (often tall abroad), stiff, erect, solid, flexuous, violet-red 

 below, clothed with rather dense short whitish hairs, especially above, and with 

 2-3 loose-ribbed somewhat funnel-shaped basal sheaths, the uppermost often with 

 green tip. Leaves 5-7 in two opposite ranks, each clasping the base of the next, 

 the lowest short, broad, often concave above, red beneath, the rest ovate-oblong to 

 ovate-lanceolate, keeled, folded, rather short, but longer than the short internodes, 

 stiff, sharply pointed, many-nerved; the uppermost bract-like, narrow. Flowers in 

 a stiff spike-Uke raceme, with (in Britain) 8-18 rather small wine-red, rarely dull rose 

 or greenish, at first bell-shaped, later wider open, flowers, with a conspicuous yellow 

 anther, and said to smell of vanilla, but the scent is often difficult to detect. Bracts 

 small, lanceolate, acute, 3-7-nerved, short as compared with those of E. latijolia, the 

 lower exceeding the ovary or even the flowers, often reddish at the base. Ovary- 

 short (±6 mm.), pear-shaped, 6-ridged, rough with short hairs, shortly stalked, olive- 

 green often tinged with red. Sepals ovate, concave, hooded, keeled, dark wine-red 

 (rarely dull rose or greenish), inside greenish with red veins, the upper shorter, 

 arching over the column. Petals broadly ovate, shghdy shorter and more obtuse, 

 keeled, ixiinutely and irregularly toothed, 3-5 -nerved, of similar colour. Lip shorter 

 than sepals, hypochile cup-shaped, projecting slightly forwards below, green, its red 

 edges folded down in front leaving a triangular entrance to the cup, wliich is spotted 

 inside with violet-red or brown, and gUstening with nectar; epichile transversely 

 oval, brighter and often darker in colour, minutely toothed with a small acute reflexed 

 tip, its basal bosses forming a raised triangular central area often brighter and darker 

 in colour than the lip, strongly wrinkled, sometimes almost tubercled or with tooth- 

 hke triangular folds ("carina pUcato-crenata " of E. media Fries). Column very short 



