14 GYNANDRIA— MONANDRIA. Orchis. ' 



Cynosorchis militaris major, Bauh. Pin.Sl. Rudb.Elys.v.2.l87. 



On chalky bushy hills, and about woods, chiefly in Kent. 



Near Greenhithe, Kent. Gerarde. About Rochester. Curtis. 



Perennial. May. 



Except its size, which is five times that of the last, this species 

 comes nearer to that, in the structure of its flower, and hue of 

 the calyx, than to any other. It is the largest and most mag- 

 nificent Orchis of British growth j O. hircina perhaps excepted, 

 which the present excels in colour. The stem varies in height 

 from 1 to 2 feet, and is most leafy about the lower part. Leaves 

 4 or 5, spreading, elliptical, not ovate, of a full, bright, not glau- 

 cous, green, 3 or 4 inches long, and 1-^ or 2 in breadth. Spike 

 cylindrical, rather dense, many-flowered. Bracteas acute, sel- 

 dom a quarter the length of the germen, though variable in size. 

 Calyx-leaves ovate, concave, bluntly pointed, converging, some- 

 what connected in the lower part ; marked externally with dark 

 brown lines, and confluent spots ; internally green. Petals 

 linear-oblong, covered by the calyx, pink or purplish, speckled 

 with a darker hue. Lip the colour of the petals, either pink 

 or purple, sometimes light flesh-coloured, rough with promi- 

 nent dark-coloured points ; the disk pale, or whitish j the mar- 

 gin deeply four-lobed, with a small intermediate central point j 

 the two lower lobes much the broadest, more or less toothed or 

 crenate. Spur deflexed, obtuse, tumid, not half the length of 

 the lip, or of the germen. Cells of the anther close together. 



Thejlowers have no very remarkable scent, at least not constant- 

 ly ; but in drying the whole herb exhales a strong odour like 

 that of Asperula odorata, or Anthoxanthum odoratum, which is 

 equally observable in the two following. Curtis has not repre- 

 sented the petals, which may be seen in Engl. Bot. His plate 

 is otherwise excellent. 



7. O. militaris. Military Orchis. 



Knobs of the root oval. Lip of the nectary five-lobed, 

 downy ; two middle lobes dilated, rounded. Spur ob- 

 tuse, not half the length of the germen. Calyx convei'- 

 ging, taper-pointed. 



O. militaris. Linn. Sp. PI. 1333. Fl. Suec. 310. Willd. Sp. PI. 



V. 4. 22. Fl. Br. 922. Bicheno Tr. of L. Sac. r. 1 2. 3 1 . fVulf. in 



Jacq. Coll. V. 2. 268. Ic. Ear. t. 598. 

 O. n. 1277. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 140. t. 28. f. 1. 

 O. galea et alis fere cinereis. Bajih. Hist. v. 2. 7o7.f. Raii Syn. 



378. Cat. PI. Jngl. 215. 

 O. latifolia, hiante cucullo, major, Tourn. Inst. 432, Vaill. Par, 



148. 

 O, militaris majoris varietas. Vaill, Par.'t, 3 1 . /. 2 1 . 



