904 



the ' Linnean Transactions,' and in the Supplement to E. B., and 

 who was the first to disentangle them from the neglect and confusion 

 into which they had fallen in Britain, although sufficiently recognized 

 on the continent. Besides the figure in E. B. Supplement, t. 2806, 1 

 may cite for H. bifolia that of Fl. Danica, ii. t. 235, as good, and the 

 beautiful one of Mr. Curtis in ' British Entomology,' v. t. 233, as still 

 better. The figures of H. (Platan thera) solstitialis, Drejer, Fl. Dan. 

 fasc. xl. t. 20360, and t. 20361, are excellent representations of our 

 H. bifolia. 



The great characteristic of th eplant before us is the parallelism of 

 the anther-cells, more closely approximated at their base, than those 

 of H. chlorantha at the summit of theirs ; hence the flowers of H. 

 bifolia are much narrower than in H. chlorantha, and far less hand- 

 some and conspicuous. The anther is shorter, the petals narrower, 

 the two lateral connivent petals, with the lip, spur and summit of the 

 anthers, are of a greenish or herbaceous colour, scarcely observable 

 in the almost pure white flowers of H. chlorantha ; the spur is more 

 slender, filiform and cylindrical, being scarcely at all compressed as 

 in H. chlorantha, neither is it sensibly enlarged or clavate at the ex- 

 tremity as is so remarkably the case in the latter, and is hardly 

 thicker than a packthread throughout, besides which it is usually 

 straighter, and often horizontally porrected as well as prone or de- 

 flexed. I observed in all my specimens of H. bifolia from Stroud 

 Wood that the lateral sepals are simply spreading, and rather curved 

 forwards or slightly connivent than reflexed, which is their general 

 tendency in H. chlorautha when fully expanded. The scent of the 

 lesser and greater Butterfly Orchis is highly and delicately fragrant, 

 particularly towards evening and at night. To myself the odour is 

 like that of the Tuberose {Polianthes tuberosa), to others like that of 

 orange flowers or scented soap. It is to be regretted that the con- 

 fusion in which the synonyms of these two presumed species were so 

 long involved should have settled the name chlorantha (greenish yel- 

 low flower) upon the species the least meriting the appellation. The 

 concluding remarks of Sir James Smith on Orchis bifolia in his ' Eng- 

 lish Flora' evince the very little attention he paid to our present plant 

 even as a variety, distinctly noticed by so many of the older botanists. 



Habenaria chlorantha. In moist open places in woods, thickets, 

 groves, and on grassy slopes; very frequent in the Isle of Wight, 

 particularly on stiff clay soils. Very common about Ryde, at St. 

 John's, in Quarr Copse, woods at Sea Grove, the Prk)ry, Westridge, 

 &c. Abundant in the grounds at Norris Castle, and in Mrs. Good- 



