OPHRYDE^—OPHRYS 241 



OPHRYS APIFERAx ARACHNITES 



X Ophrys Albertiana Camus 



PL 56 C(p. 231) 



A specimen sent to me by Mr H. Walker from Folkestone, July 15 th, 191 9, now in 

 the herbarium of Mr F. J. Hanbury of East Grinstead, showed the foUow'ing characters. 

 Stem 24 cm. tall, leaves lanceolate acute, spike 6-flowered, 10 cm. long, bracts lanceo- 

 late acute. The part-parentage of 0. apijera, which the flowers resemlDled in general 

 appearance, was suggested by the strongly convex lip, the long narrow deflexed 

 sepals (broader, shorter, more elliptical and spreading in arachnites) and by the rather 

 long distinctly curved beak of the anther, which is short and blunt in the last-named 

 species. It resembled 0. arachnites in the short triangular petals with rounded basal 

 lobes dark rose in colour, the undivided lip, and the short toothed appendix turned 

 up in front of the lip. The caudicles, a little less than twice as long as the poUinia, 

 were flat and ribbon-like at base, as in arachnites, and thread-like at the apex, as iri 

 apijera, standing erect when withdrawn, and moving down quickly. One flower had 

 been pollinated. 



A second specimen from Mr Walker on June 15th, 1930, had almost exactly the 

 lip of the Bee Orchid in front view, but with the broad 3 -toothed appendix turned 

 up in front of 0. arachnites. The hunched side-lobes were like those of O. apijera, 

 and the anther had the long beak with the peculiar curve of that species. The petals' 

 were livid, green flushed with rose. The pollinia did not descend on the stiema 

 PI. 56 C. ® ' 



OPHRYS APIFERA x ARANIFERA 

 X Ophrys epeirophora Peter 



Two specimens of this hybrid are recorded as having been gathered near Shoreham, 

 Kent, in 1898, by Mr G. L. Bruce, in Hanbury and Marshall's Fl. Kent, p. 534.' 

 Cf. G. E. Smith, Cat. PL S. Kent, p. 5 8. No description was given. I have never seen 

 this hybrid. 



ADVENTIVE SPECIES 

 Gymnadenia ODORATISSIMA Rich. 



Tubers bifid, segments usually bifid. Stem 20-40 cm. Leaves linear, narrower than 

 in G. conopsea, rather glaucous, erect or arched, minutely denticulate, the lower thick, 

 more or less folded, keeled, the upper bract-like. Spike slender, dense except at the 

 base, cylindrical but rather short. Bracts lanceolate acuminate, about equal to ovary. 

 Flowers very small (5-8 mm. long), pale rose-red to lilac, sweet-scented, like vanilla. 



GBO 3j 



