122 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



SPECIES I.-NEOTTI A NIDUS-AVIS. Bkh. 



Plate MCCCCLXXVIII. 



RekJi. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XIH. Tab. CCCCLXXIII. 



listera Nidus-avis, Book. Sm. Engl. Fl. Vol. IV. p. 38. Hook. & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. 



p. 430. 

 Oplirys Nidus-avis, Linn. Sm. Eng. Bot. ed. i. No. 48. 



Stem stout. Bracts lanceolate-acuminate. Sepals and lateral petals 

 oval-oblong, subconnivent ; labellum oblong, concave at the base, 

 split scarcely half-way up into two oblong semilunar blunt divaricate 

 segments. Column not hooded. 



In moist woods and copses, especially on chalky soil, growing 

 amongst dead leaves. Rather frequent in England; more rare in 

 Scotland, and not reaching north of Forfar, Moray, and Argyle. 

 Very rare in Ireland, and found only in the east and north-east. 

 England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Rootstock shortly creeping, descending towards the apex, very 

 densely clothed with thick cylindrical pale fawn-colour simple root- 

 fibres, from the point of which it is stated new plants are produced 

 (see Leiglit. Fl. Shrop. p. 434). Flowering stem produced from the 

 apex of the rootstock, sharply curved at the base, then erect, 9 to 18 

 inches high, stout, clothed with numerous scarious sheaths. Raceme 

 spikelike, 2 to 8 inches long, usually lax and interrupted at the base, 

 dense towards the apex, blunt. Bracts scarious, longer than the 

 pedicel, shorter than the ovary. Sepals about \ inch long ; labellum 

 about i inch. Whole plant, including the flowers, light bro^vnish 

 fawn-coloured. 



Bird's-nest Orchis. 



Frencli, Neottie nid d'oiseaw. German, Geineines Vogelnesf. 



GENUS XII.—E PIPACTIS. ( Crantz. ) Eich. 



Perianth subherbaceous or coloured; segments all spreading or 

 spreading-incurved, free; labellum turned downwards, not spurred, 

 concave at the base, constricted in the middle so as to have a terminal 

 more or less pointed ovate or transverse terminal flat lobe with two 

 prominent folds at the base on the upper side. Column short; 

 rostellum short, subquadrate. Anther sessile ; pollen-masses clavate- 

 cylindrical, attached to a common gland ; pollen mealy. 



Herbs with oval or elliptical sessile amplexicaul leaves, the lowest 

 ones generally reduced to sheaths. Flowers horizontal or drooping, 

 in lax subunilateral racemes, commonly greenish or reddish. 



