102 THE ORCHID ..REVIEW. [JuLy-AUGUST, 1920. 
x é 
EVERAL interesting British Orchids have been sent by Sir Jeremiah 
Colman, Bart., who found them on June 6th growing wild in his 
fine Park at Gatton. There are spikes of both the Bee and Fly Orchis, 
Ophrys apifera and muscifera, dark and light purple forms of the fragrant 
Gymnadenia conopsea, the well-known Orchis maculata, and Cephal- 
anthera grandiflora. It is pleasant to know that Sir Jeremiah takes an 
interest in the native species as well as in their more gorgeous cousins of 
the tropics, and we well remember the interesting series he included in a 
fine group staged at Holland House in 1907. This series included also 
Orchis pyramidalis, Aceras anthropophora, the green man Orchis, and 
Listera ovata (O.R., xv. p. 242). Other species are known, for example, 
Brewer, in his Flora of Surrey, records Neottia Nidus-avis, Habenaria 
bifolia, and Herminium monorchis from Gatton Park, and even a single 
plant of the Monkey Orchis (called O. tephrosantha, another name for 
O. Simia), is said to have been found by Miss Porter in a copse near the 
Upper Lodge of Gatton Park at the beginning of June, 1853, and the 
gardener stated that he had seen it in the same spot on two or three former 
occasions. Sir Jeremiah has alsoa record of Epipactis latifolia, which it has 
been suggested may be E. media, though we should not be surprised to find 
both in the Park, for Brewer records the former as frequent in woods about 
Gatton, and the latter as occuring in a dense shaw near Upper Gatton, 
west of the high road. We should expect to add at least Orchis mascula, 
O. Morio and Spiranthes autumnalis. 
With respect to Orchis militaris, which is thought to have been seen, 
and about which special enquiry is made, we find no information. Mr. 
Choules is said to have gathered it between Mickleham and Box Hill, and 
Trimen vouches for its correctness (Journ. Bot., 1872, p. 211). The 
question, perhaps, is whether it was O. militaris or O. Simia that was 
observed, and the point cannot be cleared up until another specimen is 
found. 
The locality is upon the chalk, like Box Hill, once famous for its native 
Orchids, though they long ago succumbed to the attacks of itinerant flower 
gatherers. We have an idea that at Gatton it would be possible to preserve 
any of the remaining species, and perhaps introduce others, if a small 
area were set apart for the purpose and railed off. It might be advisable to 
keep down the ranker vegetation, but the smaller grasses forma natural 
protection, besides forming a pleasing background when the plants are in 
bloom. With a wet spot at the foot one could also grow some of the showy 
marsh Orchises. The subject has possibilities —R.A.R. 
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ORCHIDS AT GATTON. | pS 
