504. THE ORCHID TAMILT, 



ing. Sepals lanceolate, of a pale greenish-purple. Petals rather shorter, 

 ■white, more or less streaked with pink at the base. Lip of the colour of 

 the petals, but longer even than the sepals, distinctly divided into two por- 

 tions, the lower one thick 'and half-clasping the column. 



In moist and marshy places, especially in Hmestone districts, and near 

 the sea, extending nearly aU over Europe and Russian Asia, except the ex- 

 treme north. Widely spread over Britain, and found in abundance in par- 

 ticular spots, yet not a common plant, and quite rare in Scotland. Fl. 

 summer. 



V. CEPHAIjANTHERA. cephalanthera. 



Habit and foliage of JEpipactis, but the flowers are sessile, erect, and 

 usually larger, white or red, the petals and sepals not so spreading, the lip 

 has no protuberances at the base of the upper portion, the column is longer, 

 and the anther is shortly stalked. 



A small European and north Asiatic genus, united by some with Hpi- 

 pactis, whilst others place it in a different tribe of Orchids on account of 

 the slight difference in the position of the anther. 



Flowers white or cream-coloured. 



Leaves broad. Lower bracts longer than the flower, and all longer 



than the OTary 1. Large C. 



Leaves narrow. All the bracts shorter than the ovary 2. Narrow C. 



Flowers red 3. Furple C. 



1. Large Cephalanthera. Cephalanthera ^andiflora, Eab. 



{Serapias, Eng. Bot. t. 271. Epipactis, Brit. Fl.) 

 Rootstock fibrous. Stem 1 to 1^ feet high. Leaves prominently veined 

 as m JSpipactis ; the lower ones broadly ovate, the upper ones rather 

 broadly lanceolate. Elowers rather large, of a yellowish white or cream - 

 colom-ed, in a loose, leafy spike, aU the bracts being longer than the ovary, 

 and the lower ones quite leaf-like and longer than the flowers. Sepals 6 to 

 8 or even 9 Imes long, oblong, and usually obtuse, rather open. Petals 

 rather sliorter, close over the colmnn. Lip small, of two distinct portions, 

 the lower one embracing the column, the terminal one recurved at the tip. 



In woods and thickets, in Europe, extending eastward to the Caucasus, 

 and northward to Denmark. In Britain, scattered over various parts of 

 England, Ireland, and southern Scotland. Fl. early summer. 



2. Narrow Cephalanthera. Cephalanthera ensifolia, Rich. 



{Serapias, Eng. Bot. t. 494. Hpipactis, Brit. Fl.) 

 Very near the large C, but the leaves are narrower, the lower ones broadly 

 oblong, the upper ones long and narrow-lanceolate ; the bracts very short, 

 mostly 1 to 2 lines long, or the lowest rarely as long as the ovary. Flowers 

 pm-e white ; the sepals narrower and more pointed than in the large C. 



Stations and geograpliical range the same as those of the large C. It is 

 more scarce in Britain, but appears to be rather more common in southern 

 and eastern Eurojoe. Fl. early summer. 



3. Red Cephalanthera. Cephalanthera rubra, Rich. 

 {Serapias, Eng. Bot. t. 437. JSpipactis, Brit. Fl.) 

 Stature and foliage of the narrow C. Bracts rather longer but not so 



