510 THE OBCHID FAMIIT. 



4. Early Orchis. Orchis mascula, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 631.) 



Stem 1 to li feet high, with numerous showy flowers, in a loose spike 3 

 to 6 inches long, varying from a bright pinkish-purple to flesh-colour or even 

 white. Tubers entire. Leaves rather broad and often spotted. Bracts 

 coloured, nearly as long as the ovary, with a single nerve. The upper sepal and 

 petals converging over the ovary, but the lateral sepals spreading, or turned 

 back. Lip scarcely longer than the sepals, often slightly downy in the 

 centre, reflexed on each side, with 3 short lobes, the middle one the largest 

 and more or less notched. 



In moist woods, meadows, and shady places, in central and southern 

 Europe, extending eastward to the Caucasus and northward to southern 

 Scandinavia. Generally distributed over Britain. JPl. spring and early 

 summer. 



5. Iioose Orchis. Orchis laxifiora, Lam. 



(Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2828.) 



Near the early O., but the leaves are naiTOw-lanceolate or linear; the 

 flowers rather larger, of a rich red, in a much looser spike ; the bracts broader 

 and always more veined ; and the 3 sepals are spreading or reflexed, the 

 petals alone converging over the column. 



In moist meadows, common in southern Europe, extending into central 

 Grermany and over the greater part of France. In the British Isles, con- 

 fined to Jersey and Guernsey. Fl. spring and early summer. 



6. Spotted Orchis. Orchis maculata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 632.) 



Tubers rather flat, and divided into 2 or 3 finger-like lobes. Stem usually 

 about a foot high. Leaves varying from nearly ovate to narrow-lanceolate, 

 and often marked with dark spots. Flowers in a dense oblong spike, 2 or 3 

 inches long, usually of a rather pale pink, but varying much in depth of 

 colour. Bracts marked with several veins, the lowest almost always longer 

 than the ovary, the upper ones shorter. Sepals about 3 lines long, either all 

 or the two lateral ones only spreading, whilst the petals arch over the 

 column. Lip broadly orbicular, either flat or the sides reflexed, usually 

 more or less toothed and irregularly 3-lobed, variously spotted or variegated 

 with a deeper colour, the middle lobe usually small. Spur rather slender, 

 a httle shorter than the ovary. 



In meadows, pastures, and open woods, throughout Europe and Russian 

 Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions. Abundant in Britain. 

 Fl. spring and early summer. It varies very much in the breadth of the 

 leaves, the size of the bracts, the colour of the flower, and the shape of 

 the lip, sometimes approaching very near to the marsh O. 



7. Marsh Orchis. Orchis latifolia, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 2308.) 

 Yery near the spotted O., and by some botanists considered as a mere 

 variety. It is usually more luxuriant, the stem more hollow, the leaves 

 larger and not always spotted, the spike longer and more leafy, the lower 

 bracts, and sometimes nearly aU, as long as or longer than the flowers, the 

 flowers are usually deeper-coloured and less variegated, the hp toothed only 



