1124 EPIPACTIS. (CLASS XX. ORDER 1. 
English Flora, vol. i. p. 41.--Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 
319.—Lindley, Synopsis,p. 258—Serapias, Linn.—English Botany, t. 
209. 
Root with creeping stems and downy radicles. Stems solitary, or 
several, from one to two feet high, round, smooth, leafy, enveloped at 
the base in thin membranous sheaths. Leaves a smooth bright 
shining green, of a thin texture, very numerously ribbed with fine 
parallel veins, the lower ones broadly ovate, acute, embracing the 
stem at the base, the upper ones lanceolate, sessile. Inflorescence a 
long terminal lax spike of numerous alternate drooping flowers. 
Bracteas lanceolate, leafy, the lower ones much longer than the 
flowers, the upper ones as long. Flowers a greenish white, often 
tinged with pink or purple, each elevated on a footstalk, as long or 
shorter than the downy ovarium. Sepals and petals nearly equal in 
size, ovate, acuminate, more or less connivent. Jip shorter than the 
petals, three lobed, the terminal one somewhat heart-shaped, rounded, 
with a short acute point, entire, or somewhat waved on the margin, 
the disk tumid, surrounded with a dull red line. Stigma large, 
angular, prominent. Cells of the pollen masses elliptic oblong. 
Hatbitat.—W oods, especially in mountainous districts; not un- 
frequent. 
Perennial; flowering in July and August. 
This is by no means an uncommon plant in shady situations, 
seeming to prefer a limestone district. It is as frequent on the Con- 
tinert as with us. A variety, the &. media, Fries. is occasionally 
found, having the leaves all lanceolate, and narrower, except the 
lowest, and the flower having the terminal division of the lip tri- 
angular, cordate, acute, and as long as the lanceolate sepals and 
petals. 
2. EL. purpura'ta, Smith. (Fig. 1349.) Purple-leaved Helleborine. 
“ Leaves ovate lanceolate; bracteas linear, all twice as long as the 
flowers ; lip shorter than the calyx (sepals), entire; germen downy.” 
—Smith. 
English Botany, Supp. t. 2775.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 42,— 
Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 319.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 259. 
“Root more fleshy, thicker, and growing much deeper in the 
ground than any other species of this genus that we are acquainted 
with. Stem from one to two feet high, round, and pubescent. Lower 
leaves ovate, lanceolate, sheathing at the base, upper sessile, linear 
lanceolate, from two to three inches long, the veins and margins 
covered with a slight rough pubescence. The leaves are considerably 
smaller, and of a more delicate texture than in any of the varieties of 
@. latifolia. Spike four to six inches in length, drooping before the 
flowers expand, but afterwards assuming an erect position. DBracteas 
linear, acute, horizontal with the spike, the lower about twice the 
a 
