2i8 NATIVE BRITISH ORCHIDACE^ 



± lo cm. long, erect, with six often purple-spotted ridges. Flowers 11-15 mm. 

 long, 7-10 mm. broad. Sepals ovate to lanceolate, keeled, 3-ner^'ed, slightly hooded, 

 the'l'ateral erect, reflexed (rarely spreading) with irregular red-violet rings or hnes. 

 Petals ovate obtuse, concave, entire or minutely crenate, i -nerved, connivent with 

 upper sepal. Lip flat, transversely oval or lozenge-shaped, 7-10 mm. broad by about 

 7 mm. long with upturned edges at first; side-lobes rounded or with an obtuse elbow 

 (making the lip diamond-shaped), finely crenate, mid-lobe short, tongue-shaped, 

 separated by a short acute notch (± 2 mm.) or hardly separated at all. Surface of 

 lip bright violet with darker often brilliant red-violet or crimson double loops, often 

 broken up into rather heavy lines. Spur short, conical, wide-mouthed, obtuse, 

 ± 3 mm., rather quadrilateral in section at the base, violet outside, whitish with dense 

 very short erect hairs within. Column short (5 mm.), nearly white, forming a chamber 

 over the spur-entrance. Anther hood-like, violet, with darker eyes. Stigma shield- 

 shaped, glistening, edged violet. Rostellum oval, pouch-like, pale violet, projecting 

 downwards. Pollinia^ pear-shaped, sage-green; caudicles transparent, pale yellow, 

 slightly longer, viscid discs very small. Capsule oblong, ± 15 mm., with three 

 prominent ridges. Seeds the smallest of the marsh orchids, with a pointed apex, 

 indented on one side, close-meshed, rather dusky in colour (PI. D, fig. 3 (6), p. 94)-^ 

 The plant is easily recognised by its very dark purple flowers, dwarf habit, and 

 short spike. The "clear-cut diamond" shape of the lip in Welsh plants is due to the 

 suppression of the notches which separate the mid-lobe from the side-lobes in the 



Teesdale plants. 



Habitat. It grows freely in marshy ground, and occurs sparingly on sloping 

 banks in fields. It is found in company with Orchis latijoUa, maculata, elodes, Gymnadenia 

 conopsea and Lisfera ovata. Flowers June. 



Orchis purpurella T. and T. A. Stephenson (J.B. p. 164, PL 566, figs. 9 and 10 

 (1920), and PI. 5 59, figs- 9 and 10 (1921). O.R. p. 163 (1921)). 



Distribution. Aberystwyth, about 200 plants in one pasture, but found nowhere 

 else in the district. In the same field were small colonies of 0. latifolia (only loiown 

 from one other station) and pratermissa, absent from the rest of the region. Port- 

 madoc (Dnice). Llandovery (St Quintin). Borrowdale, Watendlath (H. Goss). 

 Durham pruce). Ambleside (Stephenson). Arran (Stephenson). Orkneys (plentiful). 

 Firth of Forth, Teesdale (Stephenson, in great abundance, but not plentiful in 1930, 

 Godfery). South Tyne. Holland (Sipkes).^ 



It was several times identified as Orchis cruenta MiiUer, doubtless because it 

 appeared to be nearer to the descriptions of that plant than to any other European 



^ According tiRVermeulen the plant considered to be 0. purpurellam Holland is not that species 

 but was identified by Dr Stephenson as O. latifolia, q.v. {Nederl. Krmdkundig Archef, Afl. 2 (1930)). 



