O RC 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



ORC 



warren, in Oxfordshire. There is a variety with a stalk a 

 foot, two feet, and sometimes more in height, round, smooth, 

 green below, purple above; flowers numerous, closely imbri- 

 cate, in a long ovate cylindrical spike. Curtis, Ray, Halley, 

 Jacquin, Yaillant, and others, make this a distinct species. 

 The first observes, that in exposed aspects its usual height is 

 about nine inches; in woods and coppices, where it is more 

 sheltered, and where the soil is richer, it will acquire the 

 height of two feet, or more : such specimens must be allowed 

 to surpass every British Orchis. Its flowers vary exceedingly 

 in colour, some being' of a light, others of a deep purple 

 colour; now and then, one wholly white occurs; the lip of 

 the nectary varies also in breadth. L>r. Smith remarks, that 

 ll the varieties smell like new hay; and he, as well as Dr. 

 'ithering, does not suppose them to be distinct species. 



29. Orchis Papilionacea. Bulbs undivided; lip of the 

 nectary undivided, crenate, emarginate, widened ; horn awl- 

 shaped ; petals converging. This is the same height as the 

 preceding, and has almost the sarae flower; but the lip is very 

 large, the full size of the thumb nail wider than its length, 

 retuse, or emarginate, undivided, toothltted, blunt; spur 

 converging, acute, shorter than the germen and lip. Native 

 of Spain and Carniola. There is a beautiful variety with a 

 smaller lip, which has been observed flowering near Rome. 



30. Orchis Fallens, Bulbs undivided ; lip of the nectary 

 trifid, quite entire; horn blunt, longish; petals spreading. - 

 Native of Switzerland, Austria, Dauphiny, and Italy. 



31. Orchis Hispidula; Hairy Orchis. Bulbs undivided; 

 stem leafless ; leaf round, hispid ; lip five-parted ; segments 

 linear ; root-leaves two, kidney-form, embracing. Native of 

 the Cape. 



32. Orchis Speciosa; Handsome Orchis. Bulbs undivided; 

 stem leafy; leaves wide, ovate; lip three-parted; segments 

 tiexuose ; raceme large, many-flowered ; flowers large, pure 

 white. Native of the Cape. 



33. Orchis Plantaginea ; Plantain-leaved Orchis, Bulb 

 single, undivided; stem leafy; leaves broad, oval; lip three- 

 parted ; horn twice the length of the germen ; leaves from 

 four to eight, radical, pressing on the ground, smooth, deep- 

 shining green, somewhat fleshy, many-nerved, about four 

 inches long and three broad ; spike four to six inches long, 

 every where surrounded with flowers, which are solitary, 

 white, and fragrant. It flowers in the rainy season, and is a 

 native of the moist valleys of Coromandel. 



%* Bulbs palmate. 



34. Orchis Latifolia ; Broad-ltnvcd or Marsh Orchis. 

 Bulbs subpalmate, straight ; Lorn of the nectary conical ; lip 

 three-lobed, the lateral lobes bent back ; bractes longer than 

 the flower; leaves five or six, .alternate, sheathing the stem 

 to the spike, acutely lanceolate, keeled, and marked with 

 parallel veins, pale green, rarely spotted, and when so, very 

 obscurely ; flowers very numerous, in a close, somewhat coni- 

 cal spike, for the most part rose or flesh-coloured, and often 

 purple, and sometimes white. There are several varieties. 

 It flowers at the end of May. Found in the wet marshes of 

 Europe ; and was observed by Loureiro in Cochin-china. 



35. Orchis Incarnata. Bulbs palmate ; horn of the nectary 

 conical; lip obscurely three-lobed, serrate; dorsal petals 

 reflex. This very much resembles the preceding, but the 

 leaves are pale green and unspotted, not dark green and 

 spotted ; the stem is shorter by half ; th<: bractes are scarcely 

 longer than the flower or germen ; the corolJa is pale flesh- 

 coloured, not red; the two dorsal petals are quite bent back, 

 not merely spreading, nor are they spotted. 



36. Orchis Sambucina; Elder-scented Orchis. Bulbs sub- 

 palmate, erect ; horn of the nectary conical ; lip ovate, sub- 



83* 



trilobate ; bractes the length of the flowers. This differs from 

 all the other species, in the structure of its fructification, the 

 yellow colour of the flowers varying to purple ; it flowers 

 along with the Crown Imperial, and grows in wet places on 

 mountains. The stem is about half a foot high, thick, and 

 solid. The flowers smell like Elder flowers, whence its name 1 . 

 Native of several parts of Europe, but not Great Britain. 



37. Orchis Maculata ; Spotted Orchis. Bulbs palmate, 

 spreading ; horn of the nectary shorter than, the germen ; lip 

 flat ; dorsal petals erect; stem solid, from seven or eight to 

 eighteen inches high, the lower part round, the upper some- 

 what angular ; flowers numerous, in a close conical spike) 

 corolla usually pale purple. It varies with white flowers, and 

 the leaves are not always spotted. It flowers in June and 

 July. Native of most parts of Europe. 



38. Orchis Odoratissima ; Sweet-scented Orchis. Bulbs 

 palmate; horn of the nectary recurved, shorter; lip three- 

 lobed ; leaves linear ; the palmate leaves are elongated in an 

 irregular manner ; the spike of pale purple flowers is oblong, 

 pale red mixed with white ; the nectary of the same length 

 with the germen ; the lower lip three-lobed, the two side ones 

 truncated, nearly equal, and as long as the middle one. It 

 has a strong, singular, but pleasant smell. Native of most 

 parts of Europe. 



39. Orchis Conopsea ; Long-spurred Orchis. Bulbs pal- 

 mate ; horns of the nectary bristle-shaped, longer than th^ 

 germina ; lips trifid ; two of the petals spreading very much; 

 stem twelve to eighteen inches high, smooth and firm, round, 

 below, angular upwards ; lower leaves sheathing the stem, 

 long, narrow, and acutely lanceolate, bright green, shining, 

 keeled, with a strong midrib, on each side of which are two 

 or three faint veins, and one strongly marked ; flowers very 

 numerous, flesh-coloured or pale purple, very sweet-smelling, 

 and sometimes white. It flowers in June, and is a native of 

 many parts of Europe. Found at Harefield in Middlesex ; 

 Asply in Nottinghamshire; King's Hedges, Chesterton ; Hin, 

 Triplow, and Devil's Ditch, Cambridgeshire ; on the rough 

 pastures adjoining Cowley common in Oxfordshire ; on the 

 Wiltshire downs ; on the pastures under Shortwood near 

 Pucklechurch, in Gloucestershire ; on Knutsford moor in 

 Cheshire ; in a morass near Leeds ; near Auchin Dewney, 

 seven miles from Edinburgh ; abundantly on the hilly grounds 

 north of the river Leven in Dumbartonshire ; and on the moist 

 heathy ground of Newton park, Ireland. 



40. Orchis Flava ; Yellow Orchis. Bulbs palmate ; horn 

 of the nectary filiform, the length of the germen ; lip trifid, 

 quite entire; flowers obsoletely yellow; spike narrow. 

 Native of Virginia. 



**** Bulbs in bundles. 



41. Orchis Frutescens. Horn of the nectary the length 

 of the germen ; lip ovate, toothed at the base. Native of 

 Siberia. 



42. Orchis Strateumatica. Lip of the nectary two-lobed, 

 quite entire; horn the length of the germen ; stem a span high. 

 Native of the island of Ceylon. 



43. Orchis Hyperborea. Horn of the nectary the length 

 of the germen ; lip linear, quite entire, truncate; stem a palm 

 high with the spike; corollas yellowish-green: uppermost 

 petals wider, ovate ; the two upper lateral ones lanceolate. 



44. Orchis Abortiva ; Purple Bird's-nest, or Bird's-nest 

 Orchis. Bulbs filiform; lip of the nectary ovate, quite entire; 

 stem leafless ; roots composed of thick horizontal fibres, 

 wrinkled transversely; flowers in a very King thin spike, 

 violet ; fruit the largest of any in the Orchis tribe. The 

 whole plant, as it appears above ground, is of a violet or 

 deep purple colour. Native of the north of Europe. 



3 G 



