CLASS XX. ORDER 1. ] OPHRYS. WUT 
tremely handsome, and as its name implies, much resembles a bee in 
its appearance. The lip varies considerably in its markings, some- 
times it is without any yellow lines, at others it has the yellow lines 
without spots, and occasionally it has the spots without the lines. 
The disk is smooth and polished, and varies greatly in being larger or 
smaller, otherwise it is constant in its characters, and readily distin- 
guished from all the other species. 
2. O. arach'nites, Willd. (Fig. 1338.) Late Spider Orchis. Lip 
roundish, or broadly ovate, tumid; convex velvety, variegated, with 
five shallow inflexed marginal lobes, the terminal one at the apex 
flat, three lobed, smooth, curved outwards ; petals short, hairy ; cells 
of the pollen masses rather short, obtuse. 
English Botany, Supp. t. 2596.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 31.— 
Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 317.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 262. 
Tubers globose. Stem erect, about a foot high, a smooth somewhat 
glaucous green. Leaves elliptic, or ovate lanceolate, numerously 
ribbed, those on the stem narrower, and more tapering at the point. 
Inflorescence lax spike of few flowers. Bractea large, herbaceous, 
lanceolate. Sepals a pale purplish pink, with three green veins, 
concave, ovate lanceolate, spreading. Petals small, sub-ovate, smooth 
externally, hairy on the inside, the margins recurved. Lip roundish, 
or broadly ovate, tumid, longer than the sepals, clothed with a velvety 
pubescence, of a fine dark purplish brown, marked with two smooth 
yellow lines, round, a reddish brown oblong disk, and between the 
lines it is of a purplish colour, sometimes there are spots also, but the 
markings are different in almost every flower ‘The margin of the 
lip is divided into five lobes, somewhat reflexed, the two on each side 
at the base ovate, and mostly swollen into a more or less conical or 
tumid protuberance, the two others on the sides very shallow, and 
scarcely reflexed, the terminal one at the apex smooth, three lobed, or 
somewhat heart-shaped, protruding, curved forwards. Pouches of the 
pollen masses short, terminating in an obtuse point. Pollen masses 
on long slender stalks. Ovarium oblong, strongly ribbed, on a short 
stalk. 
Habitat—Chalky downs of South Kent, between Folkstone and 
Sittingbourne. 
Perennial ; flowering in July. 
This species, though with the general characters of O. apifera, is, 
when they are seen growing together, readily distinguished from it. 
The sepals are smaller, and the petals small, mostly of a brownish 
colour, somewhat deltoid in form, from the margin being recurved. 
The lip, though tumid, has itslobes bent back, not recurved, but 
curved forwards. It is frequent about Rome, Naples, and other parts 
of Italy, and is not uncommon in various parts of the Continent, 
Sicily and Malta. 
