ORCHIDACE^; 215 



flowers below it, all pale brown. Sepals broadly ovate, almost acute, petals 

 more obtuse, lip twice as long, deeply forked into 2 oblong spreading lobes. 



In the humus of mountain woods, rare. May-June. Sainte-Baume, Mon- 

 trieux, Grasse, etc. 



LISTERA R. Br. 



L. ovata R. Br. Tway-blade. Root-stock creeping, with many thickish 

 fibres. Stem r-ij ft. high, with 2 or 3 sheathing scales at base, and about half 

 way up the stem are a pair of broadly ovate green leaves, 3-4 inches long. 

 Raceme green, long, and slender. Lip twice as long as sepals or petals, and 

 ending in 2 linear lobes. 



Damp woods and grassy places, extending to the mountains. May-June. 

 Esterel, Le Revest, Ampus, Nice, Menton, etc. 



SPIRANTHES Rich. 



S. autumnalis Rich. Lady's-tresses. Root-stock of 2 thick oblong tubers. 

 Leaves 3 or 4, ovate or oblong, radical. Stem 6-8 in. high, green, with short 

 sheathing, pointed scales. Flowers white, small, sweet-scented, in a spiral 

 spike of about 2 inches, the bracts remaining erect on the opposite side. 



Meadows, damp woods, and fresh places extending to the hills. August- 

 October. 



S. sestivalis Rich. Root-stock more horizontal, with longer tubers. Leaves 

 radical, or near the base of the stem, narrow lanceolate. Stem rather taller, 

 and flowers larger than in the common Spiranthes. 



Grassy places and damp meadows. June-July. 



CEPHALANTHERA Rich. 



C. rubra Rich. Red Cephalanthera (Plate XXX). Root with fibres. 

 Leaves lanceolate. Bracts leafy, as long as, or longer than the pubescent ovary. 

 Flowers rose-pink, handsome, in a loose spike. Sepals and petals acute. 



Woods and shady hill -sides, more common in the lower mountains. April- 

 June. 



C. ensifolia Rich. Narrow White Cephalanthera. Leaves linear-lanceolate. 

 Bracts membranous, shorter than the glabrous ovary. Flowers numerous, pure 

 white, in a long, loose spike. Sepals acute, petals obtuse. Lip usually with 

 yellow spot. 



Woods and stony slopes, fairly common. April- May. 



C. pallens Rich. Pale Cephalanthera. Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate. 

 Bracts leafy, at least as long as the glabrous ovary. Flowers few, cream colour, 

 in a very loose spike. Sepals and petals obtuse. 



Woods and stony slopes near the sea, but less rare among chestnut, oak, and 

 beech trees in the hills. April June. 



EPIPACTIS Adans. 



E. palustris Grants = E. longifolia All. (1785). Marsh Epipactis. 

 Root-stock stoloniferous. Stem slender, 8-18 in. Lower leaves broadly lanceolate, 

 the rest lanceolate. Flowers in loose racemes, sepals lanceolate, pale greenish- 

 purple. Petals rather shorter, white more or less streaked with pink. Lip of 

 the colour of the petals, long, and distinctly divided into 2 portions, the terminal 

 lobe tubercled towards the base. 



Damp meadows and swamps, rate. June-July. Near Ampus, Grasse, 

 Fontan, etc. 



E. microphylla Swartz. Small-leaved Epipactis. Differs from the others 

 by its very small lanceolate leaves, shorter than the inter-nodes, and by its 

 smooth veins. Flowers smaller, dull green and purplish. Root-stock without 

 stolons. 



Hill-sides and stony woods, rare. June. Mont Faron, Foret du Dom, near 

 Cavaliere (H.S.T.), near Cimiez, Gairant, etc. 



