J46 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



GYMNADENIA CONOPSEA x ORCHIS MASCULA 



Orchigymnadenia Robsonii Harrison, B.E.C. p. 638 (1928) 



Habit of 0. ^mscu/a, of which it was a paler coloured miniature. Leaves unspotted. 

 Spike lax Flowers "intermediate between the rich purple of 0. mascu/a, and the 

 rose-purple of G. conopsea", scented like, but more faintly than, the latter. Bracts 

 purple paler in the middle, i-nerved. Side-sepals spreading, upper conmvent with 

 petals.' Lip unspotted, 6-25 mm. long by 8 mm. broad, mid-lobe longer and narrower, 

 slightly cleft. Throat as in 0. mascula but smaller. Spur slender, as long as m G. conopsea, 

 in some flowers 2-3 mm. shorter. , , 1 • a 



Found (one specimen only) in a mked colony of the parents, both then m flower, 

 on June 12th, 1927, on the coast of Durham, by Prof. J. W. Heslop Harrison. 



GYMNADENIA CONOPSEA x ORCHIS PRiSTERMISSA 

 Orchigymnadenia Wintoni A. Camus, Icon. p. 393 (1928) 

 PI. G, fig. 3 (P- 191) 

 Stem 52I cm., slender, angled and purpUsh above, slightly hoUow (with pinhole in 

 centre). Leaves linear-lanceolate, distant, acute to acuminate, the upper two bract- 

 hke acuminate with short transparent dashes, tinged violet. Spike short (6 cm.), 

 about i8-flowered, rather lax. Flowers pale, violet, a little larger than in G. conopsea, 

 resembling O. pmtermssa in miniature. Bracts lanceolate acuminate, lowest 2 cm. 

 loner. Ovary ± 10 mm., twisted, curved, flushed violet. Sepals oblong, obtuse, 

 unspotted, the lateral obUquely erect, spreading, the upper connivent or erect. Petals 

 broad at base as in G. conopsea, and sHghtly bowed out, conmvent. Lip with three 

 shallow apical lobes, mid-lobe tongue-shaped, obtuse, bluish pink (rose m newly 

 opened flowers), with white throat and faint radiating Hnes of violet dots as m 

 0. prcetermissa. Spur slender, intermediate in length, about equal to ovary, widened 

 at throat, tapering gradually. Column white, anther purplish red, pollinia small 

 purpUsh, caudicles slender at base thickening upwards attached near for^vard end of 

 the viscidium, which is longer than broad. Stigmas somewhat lateral but not on 

 side-lobes of column as in G. conopsea. Inside surface of spur with short sparse 

 papillae, with no free nectar. 



Hampshire, June i6th, 1931. Described from one of three plants found by P. M 

 Hall, with a faint but distinct scent resembling G. conopsea. In my opmion an undoubted 

 hybrid, with the general appearance of G. conopsea h^xt pratermissa-Yikt flowers. It has 

 the pouch of Orchis but the lengthened viscidium of Gjmnadenia. 



