1128 MALAXIS. [CLASS XX, ORDER I. 
English Flora, vol. iv. p. 50.-—Hooker, British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. 
p. 320.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 258.—Ophrys corallorhiza, Linn.— 
English Botany, t. 1547. 
Root fleshy, of thick branched divaricating horizontal fibres, of a 
pale yellowish brown colour, exhaling while drying a sweet odour. 
Stem erect, smooth, simple, slender, from six to twelve inches high, of 
a pale greenish white, bearing two or three membranous sheaths, with 
an acute point in the place of the leaves. Inflorescence a terminal 
spike of from five to ten drooping flowers, of a pale yellowish green 
colour. racteas very short and small. Sepals linear lanceolate, 
acutely pointed, keeled, the two lower ones deflexed. Petals shorter 
than the sepals, erect, connivent. Lip recurved, oblong, slightly con- 
tracted in the middle, forming two obtuse lobes on each side near the 
base, white, or pale yellow, and more or less spotted with red. Spur 
very short, and united to the base of the lip. Column elongated, 
yellowish, curved at the back, channeled in front. Anther terminal, 
free, forming a kind of hood over the four globular pollen masses 
Capsule elliptic, three ribbed, crowned by the persistent flower. 
Habitat.—Marshy wood in several parts of Scotland. 
Perennial; flowering in June and July. 
GENUS XilIl. MALAX’IS.—Swarrz. Bog Orchis. 
Nat. Ord. Oncuip'rR. Juss. 
Grn. Cuar. Sepals herbaceous, ovate, spreading. Petals herba- 
ceous, reflexed. Zip uppermost, much smaller than the sepals, 
not spurred, embracing the column at the base. Column very 
short, excavated in front. Pollen masses four, oblong. Anthers 
terminal, deciduous.—Name padrcxis, softness ; so called from 
the tender nature of the plants, 
1. M. paludo'sa, Sw. (Fig. 1355.) Marsh Bog Orchis. Stem five. 
angled ; leaves three to five, ovate, concave, papillose at the ex- 
tremity ; lip entire, concave, acute, erect, half as long as the perianth 
English Botany, t. 72.—English Flora, vol. iv. p. 48.—Hooker, 
British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 320.—Lindley, Synopsis, p. 263.— 
Ophrys, Linn. 
Root bulbous, increasing by offsets (hybernaculi), which puts out 
radicles from the base. Stem erect, very fragile, slender, from one to 
four inches high. Leaves three or four, ovate or obovate, embracing 
the stem at the base, a pale somewhat glaucous green, concave, 
ribbed, rough, with papillose excrescences, or little bulbous germina, 
by which the plant may increase itself. Inflorescence a terminal 
spike of a few loose pale yellowish green flowers, very small. J lowers 
reversed. Bracteas small, lanceolate, membranous. Sepals three, 
