OKCIIIDACILE. 99 



at the base, and siDotted with darker purple, 3-Iobcd ; the middle lobe 

 (in the Channel Islands plant) shorter than the latei'al lobes, truncate 

 or emarginate and more or less crenulate ; spur cylindrical, nearly 

 straight or slightly incurved, truncate or obtuse, horizontal or ascend- 

 ing, about half as long as the ovary. 



In meadows and marshy places. Frequent in the Channel Islands, 

 especially about Cobo in Guernsey, and St. Ouen's Pond, Jersey. 



Chamiel Islands. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Kootknobs from the size of a black currant to that of a damson 

 plum. Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, not aggregated in a radical rosette 

 as in all the preceding species, but distributed over the stem, which is 

 1 to 3 feet high. Spike 3 to 9 inches long, resembhng tliat of 0. 

 ]\Iorio, but more lax. The flowers are of a very rich crimson-purple, 

 like that of 0. Morio. Sepals about }f inch long ; the labellum rather 

 longer, and with the central lobe truncate or deficient in the Jersey 

 plant, which is the true 0. laxiflora, as distinguished from 0. palustris 

 (Jacq.): the latter has the central lobe of the labellum as long as, or 

 longer than, the two lateral lobes, the leaves narrower, and the bracts 

 longer ; but the two forms are only subspecies — if not mere varieties. 



Lax-fiowered Orchis. 

 Frencli, Orchis ajleurs laches. German, Lockerbliithiyes KnahenJcmut. 



SPECIES X.-ORCHIS PALMATA. 



Plates MCCCCLVII. MCCCCLVIII. 



Orchis latifoHa, Benth. Hanclbk. Brit. El. ed. ii. p. 459. Hooh: & Am. Brit. EI. cd. 

 viii. p. 434. 



Rootknobs palmately cleft, compressed. Stem hollow. Leaves 

 lanceolate or oblong-elliptical, acute or subacute, spotted witli purplish- 

 black or immaculate. Flowers in a dense oblong-cylindrical slightly 

 tapering blunt spike. Bracts herbaceous, 3-nei'ved, the lower ones or 

 all of them equalling or exceeding the flowers. Lateral sepals reflexed 

 upwards, the upper one and the petals connivent, all of them acute or 

 obtuse, dull purplish-crimson or lilac or purplish-rose, with purple 

 ribs; labellum about as broad as long, with the sides reflexed, dull 

 purplish-crhnson or lilac or purplish-rose, paler at the base, and 

 spotted or Hned with purple, obscurely 3-lobed or subentire ; tlie 

 middle lobe narrower than the lateral lobes and equalling or exceedino- 

 them, the lateral lobes entire or erose; spur cylindrical or conico- 

 cylindrical, nearly straight or slightly decurved, shorter than the 

 ovary or about equal to it. 



