508 THE OBCHIT) FAMILT. 



In moist woods, and forests, in northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and 

 America, extending into the higher mountain-chains of central Europe, the 

 Caucasus and Altai. In Britain, confined to the Scotch Highlands. Fl. 

 end of summer. 



XL ORCHIS. OECHIS. 



Rootstock producing each year a fleshy tuber by the side of the decaying 

 one of the preceding year, the following year's stem shooting from the 

 top of the new tuber. Stem leafy at the base, with a terminal spike of 

 flowers, usually red or purple. Sepals and petals nearly equal. Lip turned 

 downwards, usually 3 to 5-lobed, or much dilated at the extremity, and 

 produced underneath at its base into a spur or pouch. Anther on tlie face 

 of the column, with 2 erect cells converging together at the base, with an 

 erect process, each cell containing a pollen-mass, contracted below into a 

 short stalk, terminating in a gland. 



A considerable geims, cliiefly European and north Asiatic, with a very 

 few North American species. The allied genus Hahenaria is separated by 

 technical characters so difficult for the beginner to appreciate, that the 

 species of both genera are included in the following table. 



Spnr of the perianfh very slender, and longer thanthe ovary. 

 flowers white, rather large, in a loose spike. Two leaves only 



at the base of the stem 1. Sutler/ly H. 



Mowers usually red, rather small, in a dense spike. Leaves 

 several, narrowed. 

 Tubers of the rootstock entire. Spike ovate or pyramidal, very 



dense 9. Pyramidal O. 



Tubers lobed or divided. Spike cylindrical, at length rather 



loose 10. Fragrant O. 



Spur from half the length to about the length of the ovary. 

 Sepals all converging and arching over the column and petals in 

 the form of a helmet. Tubers entire. 

 Flowers few, in a loose spike. Lip broadly and shortly 3- 



lobed 1. Green-winged O, 



Flowers numerous, in a dense or long spike. Lip with 2 



lateral, smaller lobes, and a large 2-cleft middle one ... 2. Military O. 

 Sepals, at least the lateral ones, spreading. Petals, either alone 

 or with the upper sepal, arching over the column. 

 Spike long or loose. Tubers entire. 



Bracts 1-nerved. Upper sepal arching over the petals . . 4. Early O. 

 Bracts with several veins. All 3 sepals spreading .... 5. Loose O. 

 Spike dense. Tubers lobed. 

 Bracts shorter than the flowers. Lip irregularly 3-lobed . . 6. Spotted O. 

 Lower bracts longer than the flowers. Lip toothed or 



scarcely lobed 7. Marsh O. 



Spur exceedingly short, or reduced to a small pouch or cavity. 

 Lip hnear, 3-lobed, the middle lobe more than an inch long . . 8. Lizard O. 

 Lip not above a quarter of an inch long. 



Spike rather loose. Flowers green, rather small, with an 



oblong hanging lip, rather longer than the sepals .... 3. Green S, 

 Spike dense, with numerous small flowers, the Up not longer 

 than the sepals. 

 Flowers purple before expanding. Lip white, 4-lobed (3- 



lobed, with a 3-cleft middle lobe) 3. Dwarf O. 



Flowers white. Sepals ovate. Lip 3-lobed 2. Small H. 



Flowers greenish-yellow. Sepals and petals very narrow. 



Lip 3-lobed Hebminium. 



1. Green-Twinged Orchis. Orchis Morio, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 2059.) 

 Kootstook-tubers entire. Stem seldom above 6 or 8 inches liigh, with a 



