j^4 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



tiny spots radiating like a fan, and very few tiny spots on the leaves. Much as these 

 suggested 0. pratermissa, they were only variants of 0. latifoha. . r j 



On May 30th, 1923, above Aix-les-Bains where O. latifolia was abundant, I found 

 a sinale specimen of which my wife and I at once said, "Wliy, here is pmtermssa . 

 The leaves were unspotted and rather glaucous, the flowers bright red-violet, the 

 sepals spreading in a horizontal plane, the lip slightly tri-lobed at summit, the side- 

 lobes reflexed with upturned edges, the markings a single loop on each side, enclosmg 

 more or less parallel lines of smaU red-purple spots, the spur conico-cylmdrical, 

 nearly as long as ovary. On closer inspection we concluded regretfully that it was 

 only a form of 0. /atlfo/m with unspotted leaves. We searched the same ground in 

 successive years but could never find another specimen. These experiences seem to 

 show that the production of isolated specimens with a suggestive resemblance to 

 O pr^fermssa is within the scope of variation of O. Mfo/ia. They perhaps both 

 sprang from a not very remote ancestor, and the pratermssa-hke specimens might 

 conceivably be cases of partial reversion to a primitive type. 



Mr T. A. Dymes wrote, October loth, 1925 : "The seeds [of O. Mifoha] are quite 

 different from any of the ^Mcu/afa group, but are very like praUrmssa, and nuxed 

 seeds would be difficult to separate". They were taken from spotted-leaved plants 



{B.E.C. p. 784 (1925))- 



Var. pulchella Druce. 



Tubers two, flattened, palmate, with ± 4 long slender fingers; basal sheaths two, 

 lower brown, upper white. Stem round, angled above, hollow with thick walls, 

 average height 20-30 cm., in mid-Perth sometimes 60 cm. (R. Mackechnie). Leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, distant, spreading, obtuse or acute, firm rather thick, unspotted, 

 keeled, with 3-5 parallel nerves on each side and anastomosing veins, rather yellow- 

 green 'the lowest short; average length ± 12 cm., width ± 2-5 cm. Spike 25-70 mm. 

 iong,i average about 5-6 cm., few-flowered (± 20); in mid-Perth massive spikes 

 occS'r occasionally (R. Mackeclinie). Bracts lanceolate, tapering, 2-3 cm., edged 

 purple. Ovary cylindrical with three prominent ridges. Flowers smaller than those 

 of the type, like those of 0. purpnrella, but with a wider range of colour, "bright 

 tints of purple, purplish rose, dark bluish purple, rarely pale rose or white" (Druce).^ 

 Sepals erect, reflexed back to back, spotted, the median hooded, conmvent with the 

 paler ovate hooded petals. Lip cuneate at base, with a rounded elbow on each side, 

 then truncate or rounded, slightly crenate; mid-lobe very short, triangular, obtuse, 

 only separated by a slight notch; marldngs red-violet interrupted loops and spots. 

 Spur conical, wide at base, ± 6-8 mm. long, dorsally compressed at tip, coloured, 

 slightly spotted inside at base, spots showing through. Column white, formmg a 

 chamber at the mouth of the spur. Stigma shield-shaped, edged red, pouch of 



I Druce, B.E.C. p. 577 (1919)- 



