ORCHIS OROBUS. 



189 



with purplish-black. Bogs and marshes 

 in most parts of Great Britain and 

 Ireland. There is a fine large variety 

 recently introduced into cultivation. 



The bog - bed, associated with 



Cypripedium spectabile, and like plants. 

 This may be increased by division of 

 established tufts. 



Orchis laxiflora (Guernsey 0.) A 

 showy-flowered species, 1 to 3 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in summer ; of a very 

 rich crimson-purple, in a very lax 

 spike 3 to 9 in. long ; bracts 3- to 5- 

 nerved, generally tinged with crimson. 

 Leaves, lance-shaped, or linear-lance- 

 shaped, 3 to 6 in. long, not collected 

 in a radical rosette, but distributed 

 over the stem. Root-knobs globular, 

 undivided, from the size of a black- 

 currant to that of a damson plum. 

 Channel Islands, in meadows and 



bogs. The rock-garden in a moist 



spot, or the artificial bog ; it may also 

 be naturalized. Division. 



Orchis macnlata (Spotted Hand 0.) 

 A delicately - coloured native 

 species ; 1 to 1 4 ft. high. Flowers, in 

 summer ; in an ovate spike, after- 

 wards elongated, pale purple, more or 

 less streaked with a darker hue. Lip 

 usually flat, deeply 3-lobed; lateral 

 lobes rounded ; middle lobe longer and 

 narrower. Leaves, usually spotted 

 with purple ; lower ones blunt or rarely 

 acute, broadest towards their top ; up- 

 per ones linear-lanceolate, resembling 



bracts. Europe and Britain. This 



plant does thoroughly well if carefully 

 placed in moist deep loam, in a some- 

 what shady border, forming large and 

 very handsome tufts. It may also be 

 grown with the other hardy Orchids in 

 almost any position. Division. 



Ornithogalum narbonnense (Nar- 

 lonne 0.)Star of Bethlehem. A hand- 

 some bulbous plant ; 12 to 16 in. high. 

 Flowers, early in summer ; milk-white, 

 marked with a narrow green stripe on 

 .the outside of each petal, very nume- 



rous, arranged in a cluster 4 to 8 in. 

 long, lax at the base and dense at the 

 top. Leaves, broadly-linear or sword- 

 shaped, deeply channelled, longer than 

 the flower-stem. Bulb, egg-shaped. 

 S. Europe, N. Africa, and the Cau- 

 casus. Borders, or naturalization 



in sandy soil. Division. 



Ornithogalum pyramidale (Tall Star 

 of Bethlehem). A tall and noble kind ; 

 1 4 to 2 ft. high. Flowers, in summer ; 

 of a pure white, marked with a green 

 stripe on the back of each petal, ao 

 companied with coloured bracts, and 

 arranged in a conical cluster, 6 to 8 in. 

 long. Leaves, linear, flat, of a soft 

 tissue, generally withering before the 

 plant has ceased to flower. Bulb 

 tolerably large, pear-shaped, slightly 

 flattened, somewhat resembling a Hya- 

 cinth-bulb. Native of the South of 



Europe. Although this will grow 



in almost any soil, its spikes will be 

 very much finer in deep, rich loam. 

 It is a fine border bulb, and might be 

 planted here and there in shrubberies 

 with advantage. Division. 



Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of 

 Bethlehem) . A popular cottage-garden 

 plant; 4 to 12 in. high. Flowers, 

 early in summer; of a satiny white 

 on the inside, and green striped with 

 white without, arranged in an umbel 

 on long stalks. Leaves, broadly -linear, 

 channelled, with a whitish streak 

 through the middle, usually withering ' 

 at the time of flowering. Bulb, under 

 the medium size, white, pear-shaped, 

 rather irregular in figure. South 

 Europe, North Africa, and the Cau- 

 casus. The flowers of this species 



exhibit the peculiarity of opening 

 about 11 o'clock, a.m., and closing 

 about 3 o'clock p.m., whence the 

 French popular name of Dame d'onze 

 heures. Borders, in any soil. Division. 



Orobus aurantius( Orange 0.) From 

 18 in. to 2 ft.high. lowers, early in sum- 

 mer; orange-yellow; peduncles shorter 



