OPHRYDE^—SERAPIADINyE— ORCHIS 195 



rostellum nearly white. Anther violet with greenish eyes. Pollinia sage-green, 

 shorter than the pale yellow transparent caudicles. Capsule oblong, ± 17 mm. long. 



Dr Druce at first called the plant Northern incarnata, perhaps on account of its 

 firm unspotted leaves. I went with him to Hamworthy, Dorset, to see an orchid 

 which he expected would prove to be O. pmtermissa. On seeing it he said, "Yes, 

 it is pratermissa" , but later thought it O. incarnata var. pulchella Druce, which it 

 undoubtedly was. In 1919 {B.E.C. p. 578) he wrote: "To this (0. incarnata v. 

 pulchella) I formerly referred the Hamworthy plant. It is possible that further study 

 may result in uniting both these forms under prcetermissa, and therefore I have 

 selected the same name (i.e. pulchella) for the northern plant, but definitely making 

 it subordinate to prcetermissa, as it is distinctly in closer alliance with that than 

 incarnata under which for the time I leave the Hants, and Dorset plants". 



Dr Stephenson found 0. pmpurella and 0. pratermissa var. pulchella Dr. growing 

 together in Arran, and wrote {J.B. p. 35 (1922)): "The flowers are of precisely the 

 same type, the differences being that O. pmpurella is dwarf, with minutely spotted 

 leaves, whilst O. pulchella is much taller, stout or slender, and with unspotted leaves ".' 



In July, 1930, 1 saw O.purpurella growing in several localities in Teesdale. I found 

 a number of the plants with firm unspotted leaves, so that, like all other European 

 spotted orchids known to me, it has an unspotted form. One specimen of pure 

 O. purpurella was 41 i cm. tall, so that it may lose its dwarfness under favourable 

 conditions. It appears very probable that 0. pratermissa NT^t. pulchella is the unspotted 

 form of 0. purpurella Steph.,^ now recognised as a distinct species in the most recent 

 continental works. On the other hand "the seeds oi purpurella are the smallest of 

 the group, with an abruptly pointed apex indented at the base, wliilst those of 

 0. pulchella are longer, with a rounded apex, only a little narrowed from the middle of 

 the seed. This is in form precisely like those of the typical /)r^/^r//?ma, but for being 

 a little more slender". Moreover they agree with the latter in having long loose testal 

 cells, and not the closer mesh of 0. purpurella whose small rather dusky seeds are easily 

 distinguished from all others of the group. ^ 0. prcetermissa var. pulchella is figured 

 in J.B. PI. 556, fig. 7 (1920) (single flower only). All the specimens I have seen appear 

 to me to be much nearer to O.purpurella than O. pratermissa, but I have not seen many. 



Var. macrantha Sipkes (De Levende Natuur, June, 1921). Mid-lobe of lip with 

 a long narrow extension. PI. i, B.E.C. (191 j), appears to be tliis variety. 



' "As far as I have seen there is no difference between O.purpurella without spots and 0. prcetermissa 

 var. pulchella. I have never myself found the latter without the former present, and in such cases the 

 tendency is for the unspotted forms to grow amongst the taller grass and the spotted forms where 

 it is short. But I beheve there are places in Yorkshire where you get nothing but the tall unspotted 



forms 1 have seen great quantities oi O . purpurella from the Orkney Islands, and there have been 



few tall plants and few without spotted leaves. The only variation is that in some lots the spots 

 are rather large, and may be circular." Rev. T. Stephenson in lit. Aug. 23rd, 1932. 



= ;.B. p. 68 (1923). 



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