OPHRYDEyE—SERAPIADIN^— ORCHIS 219 



species. Dr Stephenson, who studied a sheet of 0. cruenta from Sweden, states quite 

 dehnitely that the plants are not the same, O. cruenta being much nearer to 0. incarnata 

 and having heavy spots or purple blotches on both sides of the leaves, very different 

 from the sparse small spots of O. purpurella, which also has broader leaves, a larger 

 flatter lip with a very different pattern, and a more slender spur.' 



O. purpurella x Gymnadenia conopsea, vide G. conopsea, p. 147. 



O. purpurella x 0. iatifolia, vide O. iatifoiia, p. 203. 



0. purpurella x 0. maculata, vide 0. maculata, p. 215. 



O. purpurella x sub-sp. e/i9i^i?j-, vide O. maculata sub-sp. f/o^ijj-, p. 216. 



13. Orchis latifolia var. eborensis var. nov. 

 PI. H, fig. 4. The Mystery Orchid 



Tubers forked. Stem hollow, ±12 cm. tall. Leaves long, very narrow (dz 14 cm. 

 x ± 10 mm.), folded, spreading, moderately acute, ± 7-nerved, bluish or yellowish 

 green with rather faint ringed or smaller solid spots or sometimes unspotted, 

 slightly concave at the tip. In some plants one basal leaf is broader, as seen in PL H, 

 fig. 4. Spike short, 4-5 cm. long, 9-20-flowered. Bracts ± 2 J cm. long, awl-shaped, 

 narrow, gradually tapering, acute, dull green, edged and flushed with dull red-violet, 

 the lowest often exceeding the flowers. Ovary about li cm. long, 6-ridged, ridge 

 on flat side adpressed to stem, little developed, making section of ovary pentagonal. 

 Flowers small, dull red-violet with red-violet darker markings, resembling those 

 of 0. incarnata in shape and si2e. Sepals ±7x3 mm., obliquely lanceolate, obtuse, 

 1-3-nerved, dull red-violet with numerous faint spots, spreading or erect back to 

 back, the upper connivent with petals. Petals similar, ± 5 x 2-3 mm., lanceolate 

 obtuse, slightly hooded, i -nerved, dull red-violet, connivent. Lip about 6-7 by 

 6-8 mm. with reflexed sides, shallowly 3-lobed, side-lobes narrow, rounded, mid- 

 lobe rounded, sub-equal, or triangular, slightly longer and sub-acute as in the above 

 plate. Spur conico-cyHndrical, varying on the same spike from 6 to 9 mm. in length. 



Leading features. Dwarf habit (the photograph is life size), very narrow usually 

 spotted leaves, short few-flowered spike, coloured bracts, small dull red-violet flowers 

 with reflexed side-lobes and small often produced mid-lobe, and stout conical spur. 

 Also its early flowering before any other orchid in the valley except 0. mascula. 



Habitat. A rough pasture in an upland Yorkshire valley in a peaty patch of boggy 

 ground only about 12 yards square, with a few outlying specimens. Orchis incarnata, 

 maculata, elodes, mascula, Gymnadenia conopsea, Ophrys muscifera, Listera ovata and Epipactis 

 palustris occur in the same field, but no other orchids. Flowers first week in June. 



Distribution. Neighbourhood of Helmsley, Yorkshire 1 Durham, on coast north 

 of Hartlepool ! Castle Eden Dene (Stephenson), eight plants 1 



' O.K. p. 164 (1921); ].B. p. 35 (1922). 



28-2 



