i62 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



nectaries. Column very short. Anther short, ovate obtuse, yellowish green. Stami- 

 nodes small. Stigma on roof and sides of the stigmatic chamber formed by the base 

 of the lip and the column. Pollinia small, very short (i mm.), pale sulphur-yellow, 

 caudicles transparent darker yellow, viscid discs colourless, nearly globular, touching 

 or cohering, caudicle ribbon-shaped where it joins the viscidium. 



VoxmTi flavescens Zimm. Sepals without red edging; lip pale, sulphur-, or bright 

 yellow. Wye! Gomshall! (lip bright yellow). Figured by Ruppert in Deutsche 

 Monatssch. PL 128, fig. 31 (19 12). 



Forma virescens Ruppert {loc. cit.). Helmet and lip greenish white, 



I have seen specimens of enormous stature on the Lake of Geneva, growing m 

 long hay-grass, doubtless drawn up in the effort to reach the light. The flowers are 

 said to have an unpleasant smell, not always noticeable. It is extremely constant to 

 type, only varying in such trifling points as height, density of the spike, and colour 

 of the lip. The leaves when dried develop a strong smell of woodruff, due to coumarin, 

 Hke Orchis militaris, purpurea and simia. The resemblance of the lip to the body, arms 

 and legs of a man has given rise to the botanical {anthropophord) as well as the popular 

 names Man Orchid, Homme pendu (French) and Ballerino (Italian). No hybrids 

 have so far been found in England, but crosses with Orchis militaris, purpurea ^znd. 

 simia have occurred on the Continent, the last two in some numbers in a few localities. 



In Smith's Catalogue of the Plants of South Kent (1829) we read: "Mr Price sent me 

 a specimen of this crimson-lipped variety bearing 87 flowers... the greater part 

 appear in perfection at the same time. The flowers emit a fragrance more aromatic 

 but less sweet than those of the honeysuckle, strongest in the evening, and then 

 not pleasant" (p. 51). 



Plants were aheady pushing up in the rock-garden at Scampston Hall, Yorks., on 



November 2nd, 193 1. 



Habitat. Chalk downs, grassy slopes, amongst bushes, undisturbed borders of 

 fields, rarely in open woods, on calcareous soil. Flowers June to July. Rare in 



Britain. 



Distribution. Eastern and south-eastern counties of England, extending according 

 to Watson I as far north as Yorks. Appears to be absent from the west of England, 

 Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Europe from Germany southwards to the Mediter- 

 ranean, extending from Spain to the Balkans; Cyprus, N. Africa (Morocco to Tunis). 



AcERAS ANTHROPOPHORA R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew. v, 191 (1813). Ophrys 

 ANTHROPOPHORA L., i>. pi. ed. I, p. 948 (i753)- Orchis anthropophora 



All. (1785). LOROGLOSSUM ANTHROPOPHORUM Rich. (1817). ACERAS 

 ANTHROPOMORPHA Steud. (1840). HiMANTOGLOSSUM ANTHROPOPHORUM 



Spreng. (1826). 



• Top. Bot. p. 1058. 



