ORCHIDACEiE 



H. elegans ritima Greene, in Pittonia 2: 298 (1892), Man. Bot. Bay Reg. 

 306 (1894); Krdnzl, Orch. Gen. et Sp. 1: 467 (1898); Jepson, 

 Fl. Mid. Cal. 132 (1901). 



Piperia maritima%^6.,inBull.Torr. Bot. CI. 28: 641 (1901). 



" Habenaria maritima. Very robust,only 6 to 16 inches high, 

 at flowering time destitute of foliage, but the upper part of the 

 stem bearing many lanceolate-subulate appressed and more or 

 less imbricated green bracts J inch long or more: spike 1 J to 3 

 inches long, 1 inch thick, the flowers closely crowded, white, 

 heavily honey-scented: sepals oblong, obtuse, Ij lines long, 

 white, with a narrow and delicate deep-green midvein ; petals 

 not quite equalling the sepals, oblong-lanceolate, the upper 2 

 plane, deep-green at base and well up the middle, otherwise 

 white, the hp pure white even to the prominently elevated and 

 broad midvein: spur slender, longer than the ovary. 



"On dry hills near the sea at Point Lobos, near San Francisco, 

 flowering from August to October; leaves probably appearing 

 in early spring and soon dying. Species apparently referred to 

 H. leucostachys in the State Survey Botany, but most distinct." 

 Greene, loc. cit. 



H. elegans var. maritima differs from the type in its con- 

 gested habit and more nearly white flowers. After an examina- 

 tion of numerous specimens I failed to find any structural dif- 

 ferences which in my judgment warranted the maintenance 

 of H. maritima as a distinct species. One can find a full series 

 of specimens in one region connecting the variety with H. 

 Michaeli, Piperia multijiora and the type. All these forms ap- 

 pear to be conditions of one species. The variety is found only 

 under the influence of salt air of the littoral of California 

 from San Francisco to Monterey County. Bolander's specimen, 

 numbered 2490, in the Gray Herbarium, consists of a slender 



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