Orchis.} LXXXI. OBCHIDACEA. 448 



2. O. militaris, Linn. (fig. 998). Military O.A handsome species, 



1 to 2 feet high, with entire tubers. Leaves in the lower part of the 

 stem varying from broadly oval to oblong, usually 3 to 5 inches long. 

 Flowers numerous, in a dense oblong spike, with short bracts. Sepals 

 usually purple, converging over the petals and column in the shape of 

 a helmet as in 0. Morio. Lip rather longer, of a pale colour, more or 

 less spotted with purple, and 4-lobed, or, in other words, 3-lobed, with 



2 lateral entire lobes and a third middle one more or less divided into 2, 

 with a small tooth in the cleft or notch. Spur not half the length of 

 the ovary. 



In hilly pastures, and on borders of woods, dispersed over the greater 

 part of temperate Europe and Russian Asia, chiefly in limestone districts, 

 extending northwards to Gothland. In Britain, limited to the counties 

 bordering on the Thames from Oxford to Kent and Sussex. Fl. tprin-j, 

 Among the numerous varieties observed, chiefly in the colour and form 

 of the lip, the three following, often distinguished as species, have 

 appeared in England : 1. 0. purpurea, Huds. (fusca, Jacq.), robust, with 

 dark purple, rather obtuse sepals ; the lip variegated with purple, its 

 middle lobe broad and short. 2. 0. Simia, Lamk. (tephnjanthos, Vill., 

 not precisely the same as the Continental variety so named), more slender, 

 with pale purple or crimson, spotted flowers ; the middle lobe of the 

 lip long and narrow, like the lateral ones. 3. The true 0. militaris, 

 Linn., intermediate between the two others. [Another and perhaps 

 better disposition of the above is the retention of 0. purpurea, Huds., 

 (0. fusca, Jacq., O. militaris, Sm., not Linn.) as a species, characterised 

 by its robust habit, and broad obcordate crenate mid- lobe of the lip ; 

 and of 0. militaris, Linn., not Sm. (0. Simia, Lamk., 0. tephrosanthos, 

 Vill.), as another species, of slenderer habit, with the mid-lobes of the 

 lip divided into 2 narrow up-curved segments with an intermediate 

 tooth.] 



3. O. ustulata, Linn. (fig. 999). Dwarf '0. Rather a small species, 

 seldom above 6 to 8 inches high, and remarkable for the dense spike of 

 small flowers, the deep purple of the unexpanded ones giving it a burnt 

 or scorched appearance. Tubers entire. Leaves few, oblong or lanceo- 

 late. Spike 1 to 2 inches long, with small bracts. Sepals deep purple, 

 pointed, converging over the column and the very small, narrow petals. 

 Lip white, with a few purple spots, 4-lobed, or, in other words, deeply 

 3-lobed, with 2 lateral lobes and the middle one divided into 2 spread- 

 ing obtuse, more or less notched lobes. Spur very short. 



On dry, hilly, open pastures, in central and southern Europe, extend- 

 ing eastwards to the Caucasus, and northwards'io southern Scandinavia. 

 Occurs in many parts of England, but neither in Scotland nor in Ireland. 

 Fl. spring or early summer. 



4. O. mascula, Linn. (fig. 1000). Early 0. Stem 1 to 1 feet high, 

 with numerous showy flowers, in a loose spike 3 to 6 inches long, vary- 

 ing from a bright pinkish-purple to flesh-colour or even white. Tubers 

 entire. Leaves rather broad and often spotted. Bracts coloured, nearly. 

 as long as the ovary, with a single nerve. The upper sepal and petals 

 converging over the ovary, but the lateral sepals spreading, or turned 

 back. Lip scarcely longer than the sepals, often slightly downy in the 

 centre, reflexed on each side, with 3 short lobes, the middle one the 

 largest and more or less notched. 



