142 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACEiE 



on mountains), (2) densiflora with long dense spike of rose-red flowers (wet places), 

 and (3) alp'ma, a dwarf few- flowered form of liigh altitudes. 



Habitat, Grassy places, chalk downs (often abundant), banks, pastures, etc., 

 generally on limestone. In Ireland also on clay banks, pastures and heaths [Cyhek 

 Hibern.). Occasionally in marshy meadows, and wet slipping ground. Flowers June 

 to August, according to locality. 



Distribution. Not common though locally plentiful in Great Britain, and known 

 in most counties, extending throughout England, Wales, and Scotland to Shetland, 

 where it is very scarce (Watson, Top. Bot. p. 1054). In Ireland frequent and locally 

 abundant, extending from sea-level in Antrim and Kerry to 900 ft. in Clare, rarer 

 in the south. 



Gymnadenia conopsea R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, v, 191 (1813). Orchis 

 conopseaL., J>.j&/. ed. i, p. 942 (1753). Habenaria Gymnadenia Dr. 



Conopea has been substituted for conopsea by most continental authors, on the 

 grotind that the latter is grammatically incorrect (A. and G. Syn. in, 812). Conopsea, 

 however, was the name given by Linnseus. 



G. conopsea sub-sp. densiflora (Marsh Fragrant Orchid) Lindl.,Gf;z. and Spec. p. 275 

 (1835), as variety. Generally attributed to Dietrich (1839). Spike dense, often long 

 (8-16 cm.), flowers touching, bright rose-red or magenta, with a pleasant clove-like 

 scent quite different from that of the type, and flowering later (mid-July). Stem tall, 

 hollow above. Leaves long, sword-shaped, broad or narrow. Spike cylindrical, at 

 first pyramidal. Flowers darker than in the type. PL 27. 



Isle of Wight, July 12th, 1916. Fine spikes of large red-purple flowers, lip whitish 

 in centre, side-lobes truncate, finely toothed! Anglesey, July 9th, 1919. Small 

 pyramidal spikes of bright magenta flowers, with rather short spur (±12 mm.), but 

 these were in early flower! forma monensis (PI. 29 A, A i) (p. 146). The former 

 occurred on wet slipping ground on cliifs, the latter in damp meadows near water. 

 Perhaps ''Habenaria Gymnadenia Druce, small specimens with dark coloured flowers "' 

 belonged to the last-mentioned form. BiUingham, Durham ;2 Rievaulx, Yorks. 



I saw this sub-species in some quantity in July and August, 1929, at Trient, 

 Switzerland. It was entirely confined to marshy ground, near runnels of cold glacier 

 water, and began to flower in mid-July when the type, abundant some 400 yards 

 away, was in fruit, and was practically over even 2000 ft. higher up. The stem was 

 up to 45 cm. tall, hollow above, the leaves distant, 10-19 cm. long by 8-23 mm. 

 broad, the spike dense, long (8-16 cm.), the flowers bright rose-red and clove- 

 scented, the spur 15-18 mm. long. The leaves are not always broad, the spike is not 

 always long, and the spur is not always short, as described in continental floras. It 



' "Fl. Zetlandica", B.E.C. p. 523 (1921). ' Ibid. p. 170 (1917)- 



