SOME RARE SUSSEX ORCHIDS. 



Kv E. J. i;i:i)i'()Ki). 



During the past season (1911), I was able to add 

 several interesting species to the collection I am 

 forming of British Wild Orchids, and perhaps the 

 following particulars may prove of interest. 



Mv intention is to secure photographs of every 

 possible species in situ, as 

 well as at closer quarters at 

 home, when arranged against 

 a plain background. I was 

 e.Nceedingh- fortunate in ob- 

 taining two species which had 

 not hitherto been recorded 

 for East Susse.x, and these 

 will be described first. 



During the month of May. 

 a friend of mine, Mr. Herbert 

 Jenner, of Lewes, found in 

 the Ouse district, near Lew es. 

 a specimen of the Brown- 

 veined Orchis iOrdiis pur- 

 purea), and bv his kindness I 

 wasable to obtain a photograph 

 of the plant in situ and of the 



blossom (see P'igure 283). 



Although the specimen 

 was not (juite so fine a.-- 

 tvpical ones occurring in the 



neighbouring county of Kent. 



yet as a record for East 



Susse.K it was of considerablt 



local interest. 



It will be remembered that 



we e.Kperienced some late 



frosts during the Spring 



of 1911, and this speci- 

 men like many of the 



earlier species suffered in 



consequence, the leaves 



being frost-bitten at thr 



tips, and even as late as 



June I noticed that man\ 



specimens of the Bei- 



Orchis {Opiirys apifera) 



suffered in the same wa\'. 

 This interesting' find 



was the prelude of another 



of perhaps even greater 



interest, for in the month 



of June I was fortunate 



enough to come upon a 



specimen of the Lizard 



Orchis {Orchis hirciiia) 



in the Cuckmere district, 



near Eastbourne. 





Figure Zbo. 

 Spidor Orchis (Ophrys nrunifcra) 



FiGUKi; J^l. 

 The Bog Orchis iMalaxis pahtdosa'i in its natural habitat. 



This also proved to be a record for East Sussex, 

 although I believe a single specimen was discovered 

 in West Sussex in 1907 near the extreme border of 

 the count)-. 



During the first week in June I had passed over 

 the ground where the speci- 

 men was discovered and in 

 the dusk of evening saw 

 what appeared to be at 

 ,1 distance of several yards 

 ,1 plant of the Mullein 

 ( Vcrlniscum). 



It was, therefore, somew hat 

 of a surprise to me in passing 

 over the spot again about a 

 week later (also in the twi- 

 light) to almost walk over a 

 s|)ccimen of the Lizard Orchis 

 which I had never dreamed 

 I should be fortunate enough 

 : • I find in Sussex. My 

 ilioughts at once went back 

 to mv previous visit to the 

 !( icality, and I saw at once that 

 I his must have been what I 

 I id taken to be the Mullein. 

 M\ delight in the discovery 

 ina\ well be imagined by any 

 !i )tanist and I sat down beside 

 the specimen debating in m\- 

 lumd whether I should pick 

 it or leave it. as the flowers 

 were not fully out — in fact, 

 the\- had only just com- 

 menced to open. After 

 considerable meditation I 

 decided it must be picked 

 as if it were left and 

 someone else should dis- 

 cover it, which was more 

 than likeh- owing to its 

 position, the plant might 

 be plucked up root and 

 all before I had obtained 

 a photograph and I should 

 e\cr afterwards regret my 

 loss. So I carefully cut 

 off the blossom and 

 packing it in my vas- 

 culum started homewards 

 full of joy at my good 

 fortune. 



Several of niv botanical 

 friends were informed of 



