LISTERA.] ORCHIDE^. 359 



2-fid ; spur 0. Anther hinged on to the back of the column, 2-celled ; 

 pollen-masses 2, powdery, glands connate. Stigma prominent ; rostellum 

 tongue-shaped. DISTRIB. N. temp, and cold regions ; species 6. ETYM. 

 Dr. Martin Lister, a British naturalist. 



SUB-GEN. 1. Iiiste'ra proper. Stem 2- rarely 3-leaved. Lip linear, 

 with 2 straight nearly parallel terminal lobes. 



1. L. ova'ta, L. ; stem tall terete pubescent above, leaves broadly 

 elliptic, lip 2-fid without lateral lobes. Tway-blade. 



Woods and pastures, ascending to near 1,900 ft. in N. of England ; fl. May- 

 July. Stem 1-2 ft., solitary, stout. Leaves 3-8 in., ribbed. Raceme elongate; 

 bracts minute. Flowers \ in. ; sepals deep green, ovate, subacute ; petals 

 yellow-green ; lip the same, slightly saccate at the base, apiculate between 

 the terminal lobes. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), Siberia. 



2. Ii. corda'ta, Br. ; small, glabrous, stem angled fragile, leaves ovate- 

 cordate, lip 2-fid and with 2 basal linear lobes. Lesser Tway-blade. 

 Mountain woods and moors, especially under heather, from Hampshire and N. 



Devon northwards, ascending to 2,700 ft. in the Highlands; rare in Ireland ; 

 fl. July-Sept. Stem 4-8 in., brownish-green. Leaves -1 in., sessile, mem- 

 branous, acute. Raceme lax, few-flowered ; bracts minute. Flowers in. 

 sepals and petals olive-brown, obtuse ; lip dirty yellow-green, terminal lobes 

 linear. DISTRIB. Arctic and Alpine Europe, N. Asia, N. America. 



SUB-GEN. 2. Neot'tia, L. (gen. ). A brown leafless root-parasite. Stem 

 with sheathing scales. Lip concave at the base, terminal lobes divaricate. 



3. L. Nidus-a'vis, L. ; raceme lax-flowered. Bird's-nest Orchis. 

 Dark woods, especially beech, from Forfar and Argyle southwards ; E. and 



N.E. only of Ireland ; fl. June- July. Root a mass of succulent, stout, 

 interlaced fibres. Stem robust, 1-1^ ft., dirty-brown. Flowers | in., grey- 

 brown, bracts short. DISTRIB. Europe, W. Siberia. 



12. SPIRAN'THES, Rich. LADY's-TRESSES. 



Root of tubers or stout fibres. Stem leafy. Spike of small flowers in 

 1-3 spirally-twisted rows. Sepals and petals similar, suberect ; sepals 

 gibbous at the base; upper adnate to the petals, forming a tube round the 

 lip. Lip embracing and adnate to the base of the column, tip entire, disk 

 2-tubercled. Anther hinged on to the back of the column, 2-celled ; 

 pollen -masses 4, powdery, sessile on one linear gland. Stigma discoid ; 

 rostellum beaked, finally 2-fid. DISTRIB. trop. and temp, regions ; 

 species 46. ETYM. a-n-flpa and &v0os, from the twisted inflorescence. 



1. S. autumna'lis, Rich.; tubers 2-3 ovoid, flowering-stem sheathed 

 distinct from the root-leaves, spike slender, flowers many in 1 series. 



Dry pastures from Westmoreland and York southwards ; S. and Mid. Ireland ; 

 fl. Aug. -Sept. Stem 4-8 in., slender, upper part and inflorescence pubescent. 

 Levaex 1 in., in lateral rosettes, ovate, acute, appearing after the flowers. 

 Flutcers sheathed by the cucullate cuspidate bracts. Perianth fa in., white ; 

 lip channelled at the base, tip exserted, crenate. DISTRIB. Europe from 

 Denmark southwards, N. Africa. Flowers fragrant. 



2. S. sestiva'lis, Rich.; tubers several cylindric, radical leaves on the 

 flowering stem linear, spike slender many-flowered, flowers in 1 scries. 



