OPHRYDE^—SERAPIADIN^—OPHRYS 235 



say: "The excellent figure of the above-mentioned specimen leaves no doubt in our 

 minds about the suggestion being correct. . .aranifera was seen by Marshall ist June 

 1882 at Folkestone, still just in flower, arachnites being then in perfection, and a good 

 many specimens of apifera having already expanded their blossoms ". 



Smith's description confirms this conclusion. The green sepals and petals are 

 characteristic of O. aranifera whilst the broad lip and trifid appendix are equally so 

 of 0. arachnites. This hybrid must necessarily be very rare in Britain, where 0. aranifera 

 ordinarily flowers in April and early May, and O. arachnites in late May and early 

 June, for their time of flowering only overlaps in exceptional years. The circumstances 

 are very favourable for intercrossing, however, when but few specimens of one 

 species remain in bloom, whilst the other parent is in full flower. 



On June 25th, 1950, I received from Mr H. Walker from Folkestone a specimen 

 of 0. arachnites with green herbaceous sepals. As it showed no other recognisable 

 characters of 0. aranifera, it might possibly be a sport of 0. arachnites, but more 

 probably it was this hybrid back-crossed with 0. arachnites, but still retaining the 

 green sepals of O. aranifera. 



The following is a description of a specimen found at Bex, Switzerland, May 14th, 

 1913 (PI. 57 D). Height 16 cm. Leaves grey-green. Flowers three, rather large, 

 distant. Sepals green, obtuse, spreading. Petals green, short, triangular. Lip rather 

 quadrangular (with two slight hunches at base and a broad very short appendix 

 turned up in front), brown, shading off" at the broad apex into a rather wide yellowish 

 green margin. Markings a combination of the pattern of 0. arachnites with the H-like 

 marking of 0. aranifera. The single flower marked D i is from a specimen from 

 Saarbriicken sent me by Herr J. Ruppert who named it O.fuciflora var. Walteri Rupp. 

 in schedis. For the following reasons this appears to be the hybrid O. arachnites 

 X O. aranifera. The petals were broad all along the basal half, in one spike almost to 

 the apex, with darker and wavy edge, a marked character of 0. aranifera, as well as 

 their green colour, and that of the sepals. In one spike the sides of the lip were 

 much reflexed, making it appear oval, and the marking simple and more like 

 O. aranifera, for which it might easily have been mistaken at a little distance, but for 

 the rather large appendix. In another spike the lip resembled O. arachnites, but was 

 slightly emarginate with a very smaU almost rudimentary appendix. In another the 

 hunches were low, except in a flower with dark wavy-edged petals, which are in 

 themselves evidence of the part parentage of 0. aranifera. 

 Ophrjs arachnites x apifera, vide O. apifera, p. 241. 



Ophrjis arachnites x muscifera, not yet recorded for Britain, might well occur in 

 Kent. 



30-2 



