KNowij; I )(■.)•:. 



JlMY. 1912. 



tile plidtii^'iaiili 



li of 



my discovery and they also saw tlie blossom, but I 

 have not, and do not intend to divulge the exact 

 locality, iiopinj,' that the plant may blossom af^ain 

 during the cominj; season. 



The plant measured twelve-and-a-half inches in 

 height and doubtless would have grown higher had 

 it been left to do so. 



It is interesting to notice ii 

 the partly-opened flowers (see 

 Figure 284) how the long 

 lip is curled up in the forin 

 of a spiral under the hood 

 and one may be seen partl\ 

 uncurled. 



The flowers opened at tin- 

 rate of three or four each da\ , 

 and about a week after tin 

 specimen had been picked all 

 the flowers were open except 

 those at the extreme tip. It w as 

 at this stage taken back and 

 temporarily fixed to its own 

 stalk and photographed //; situ 

 on 22nd June (see Figure 282). 



Earlier in the season I had 

 found a very nurnerous colon\ 

 of the Spider Orchis {Opliiys 

 aranifera), which is one of the 

 rarer species and very local in 

 Sussex (see Figures 280and 286). 



Standing in one spot and 

 revolvitig myself to face, in 

 turn, the four points of the 

 compass I counted the numbci- 

 of specimens I could clearly 

 see in a circular space of about 

 three yards radius from my 

 standpoint and they numbered 

 no less than sixty-five. The)- 

 were in this i)rofusion for a 

 considerable distance on either 

 side of me, and on making 



encpiiries of my botanical friends I found only one 

 of them had ever seen the species in such numbers. 



Fortunately this species, like several of the others 

 belonging to the Orchidaceae, does not flower every 

 successive season, so that where one season the 

 flowers are very numerous (as they were on this 

 occasion) the next very few maj- be found. 



It is as well that this is so, otherwise local species 

 like this would probably be exterminated by continual 



FiGl'RK 282. 

 riie Lizard Orchis iOjihrys ltircnia\ 



believe, also in Surrey, is a very rare plant. I have 

 heard that it has been found in Sussex, but have 

 never seen it there myself. 



.\s it occurs about a month later than (). ani/iifcnr 

 there seems little doubt but that it is a distinct 

 species, more related to O. apifcra than O. araiiifcru. 

 Another interesting species to be foimd in Sussex 

 is the Bog Orchis {Malaxis pahtiiusa), which is very 

 local and not at all common. 

 This, as its name implies, is 

 to be found in bogs and owing 

 partly to its position, and also 

 on account of its small size, 

 is not at all easy to dis- 

 cover or, when discovered, to 

 photograph. 



It is said to be an epiphyte 

 — that is, a plant which grows 

 upon another plant, but which 

 does not, like a parasite, obtain 

 its nourishment from it. It 

 is often, but not alwavs, found 

 upon Bog Moss (Sphuf^niim). 

 The specimen shown in the 

 illustration (see Figure (281) 

 was growing upon Sphagnum, 

 and was only one and a half 

 inches in height, doubtless due 

 to the very dry summer ; w hich 

 had the advantage, however, 

 of making its habitat more 

 easily accessible. Owing to 

 the damp situation and the 

 very small size of the speci- 

 men, it took a considerable 

 amount of manoeuvring before 

 the camera, which had to be 

 placed almost upon the ground, 

 could be brought into a favour- 

 able position to secure the 

 ()hotograph. Specimens seemed 

 very scarce in Sussex during 

 1911, but this may ha\'c been due to the abnor- 

 mall\- h(jt and dvv season. 



Darwin mentions in his book on " Fertilisation of 

 Orchids "'* that the specimens he experimented with 

 were sent to him from Sussex, and it is interesting to 

 note that there is very little doubt they came from 

 the same locality as the one shown in the illustration. 

 This species is the smallest British Orchid, and its 

 labellum or lip is, contrary to most others, directed 



plucking of the flowers and [)erhaps grubbing up of upwards, this being brought about by the spiral 



the roots. 



The specimens which occur in Sussex are saitl to 

 be Ophrys anmifcra var. fiiL-ifera. I haw 

 experienced great difficulty, however, in distinguish- 

 ing the variety from the type which is said to occur 

 in Kent and sometimes in Sussex. 



The species known as the Late Spider Orchis 

 iOplirys anidiiiitcs). which orruis in Kent, and, I 



twisting of the ovarium. 



The [iroper direction for the lip of all Orchids is 

 u[nvartls, but the lower position is assumed by reason 

 of the twisting of the ovarium. In Miihi.xis the 

 twist continues until the lip is again iirought round 

 to the upward position. 



This is well shown in the illustration of the 

 species in Darwin's work alread\- meutioneil. 



I'ag'-'s 1-'* ;ii>d 1-50. 



