OPHRYDE^—SERAPIADIN^— ORCHIS 183 



skin is very thin, and the inner hes close to it but can be separated by rolling between 

 the finger and thumb. If the spur is cut and squeezed, liquid is pressed out from 

 between the walls. Miiller's observations confirmed Darwin's view that insects pierce 

 the delicate tissue of the spur and suck the included fluid. Kerneri also states that 

 repeated observations show that the spurs of 0. mascula, etc., are pierced and sucked 

 by insects. This is a much more natural explanation than Sprengel's idea that the 

 spurs of 0. mascuia, 0. morio, etc., are sham nectaries which induce insects to visit 

 the flowers by the promise of nectar which they cannot supply. 



I examined four spikes of 0. mascula gathered near Bournemouth and found that 

 pollitiia had been removed from 41 flowers, and that four flowers had pollen on the 

 stigma. On May 9th, 191 8, near Corfe Castle, I saw six large humble-bees visit 

 0. mascula. This occurred at long intervals and the bees only visited two or three 

 flowers on a spike as a rule. 



Four spikes of 0. mascula received from the late Mr Burton of Longner Hall, 

 Salop, in August, 191 8, bore no less than 62 ripe capsules. I saw Bombus lapidarius 

 withdraw two pairs of pollinia from 0. mascula in a mixed bunch of orchids on my 

 window-sill at Challes-les-Eaux in May, 1929. 



7. Orchis laxiflora Lamarck 

 PI. 41. Jersey Orchid, Loose-flowered Orchid 



Tubers sessile or stalked, oblong or nearly globose, and roots short. Stem 20-40 cm. 

 or more, straight or slightly sinuous, round, glabrous, angled, rough and purple 

 above, with rather loose brownish basal sheaths. Leaves erect, slightly spreading, 

 linear-lanceolate, tapering, acute, keeled and more or less folded with prominent 

 parallel nerves, green and shining, 12-17 cm. long, 1-2 cm. broad; upper small, 

 bract-like. Spike loose, cylindrical, 7-16-flowered, up to 20 cm. long and 5 cm. in 

 diameter. Flowers large, dark purple (rarely rose or white and then smaller), with 

 centre of lip white, scentless. Bracts slightly longer than ovary, linear-lanceolate, 

 acute, somewhat membranous, tinged with purple, lower 7-nerved. Ovary long, 

 linear, curved, twisted, stalkless, tinged purple, ripe capsule spindle-shaped. Sepals 

 free, ovate obtuse, dark purple, 5-6-nerved, the lateral erect, back to back, the upper 

 oval obtuse, concave, 5 -nerved, curving upwards. Petals two-thirds as long as 

 sepals, obUquely oblong, rather obtuse, 3-6-nerved, forming a hood. Lip dark purple 

 with keeled white centre and channel leading into the spur, and strongly reflexed 

 sides almost touching beliind; when flattened out transversely oval, broader than 

 long with rounded more or less crenate or toothed side-lobes separated by a broad 

 (± 5 mm.) truncate wavy-edged mid-lobe much shorter than they, sometimes absent, 

 ' Pflan-:^enleben (English translation), 11, 171 (1895). 



