OECHIDACE^. 509 



few rather narrow, almost radical leaves, and 2 or 3 loose, sheatLing scales 

 liigher up. Flowers about 6 to 8, in a loose spike. Bracts thin, and rather 

 pink, about the length of the ovary. Sepals purplish, arching over the much 

 smaller petals and column in the form of a helmet. Lip longer than the 

 sepals, convex, broadly and shortly 3-lobed, of a pinkish purple, pale in 

 the middle, with darker spots. Spur very obtuse, nearly as long as the ovary. 

 In meadows and pastures, very common in central and southern Europe, 

 and temperate Russian Asia, rarer towards the north, although extendincr 

 into southern Scandinavia. Abundant in Surrey, and some other parts of 

 southern England, and Ireland, scarce in the rest of England, and wanting'' 

 in Scotland. Fl. early summer. 



2. Military Orchis. Orchis militaris, Linn, 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 16, t. 1873, and Suppl. t. 2675. O. purpurea and O. simia, 



Bab. Man.) 



A handsome species, 1 to 2 feet high, with entire tubers. Leaves in the 

 lower part of the stem varying from broadly oval to oblong, usually 3 to 

 5 inches long. Flowers numerous, in a dense oblong spike, with short 

 bracts. Sepals usually purple, converging over the petals and colunm in 

 the shape of a helmet as in the (jreen-winged O. Lip rather longer, of a pale 

 colour, more or less spotted with purple, and 4-lobed, or, in other words 

 3-lobed, with 2 lateral entire lobes and a third middle one more or less 

 divided into 2, with a small tooth in the cleft or notch. Spur not half the 

 length of the ovary. 



In hilly pastures, and on borders of woods, dispersed over the greater 

 part of temperate Europe and Russian Asia, chiefly in limestone districts 

 extending northwards to southern Scandinavia. In Britain, limited to the 

 counties bordering on the Thames, from Berkshire downwards. Fl. spring. 

 Among the numerous varieties observed, chiefly in the colour and precise 

 form of tlie Up, the three following, often distinguished as species, have 

 appeared in England: — 1. Brown O. (0. fusca), with dark purple, rather 

 obtuse sepals ; the hp variegated with purple, its middle lobes broad and 

 short. 2. Monkey O. (O. teplirosanlhos, not precisely the same as the 

 Continental variety so named), with pale purple, spotted flowers ; the middle 

 lobes of the lip long and narrow, like the lateral ones. 3. The true mili- 

 ia/ry O., intermediate between the two others, approaching sometimes the 

 one, sometimes the other. 



3. D^varf Orchis. Orchis ustulata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 18.) 



Rather a small species, seldom above 6 to 8 inches high, and remarkable 

 for the dense spike of small flowers, the deep purple of the unexpanded ones 

 giving it a burnt or scorched appearance. Tubers entire. Leaves few, ob- 

 long or lanceolate. Spike 1 to 2 inches long, with small bracts. Sepals 

 deep purple, pointed, converging over the column and the very small, 

 narrow petals. Lip white, with a few purple spots, 4-lobed, or, "in other 

 words, deeply 3-lobed, with 2 lateral lobes and the middle one divided into 

 2 spreading, obtuse, more or less notolied lobes. Spur very short. 



On dry, hilly, open pastures, in central and southern Europe, extending 

 eastwards to the Caucasus, and northwards to southern Scandinavia. Oc- 

 curs in many parts of England, but neither in Scotland nor in Ireland. 

 Fl. spring or early summer. 



2x2 



