100 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [APRIL, 1923. 
SEEDS OF THE BRITISH DACTYLORCHIDS. 
OTES on the Seeds of the British Dactylorchids is the subject of an 
article contributed to the Botanical Society and Exchange Club (vol. 
vi., pt. lil., page 432), by Mr. T. A. Dymes, F.L.S., who remarks: “ With 
a strong belief in the conservative values of seeds in general, and with some 
slight practical acquaintance with them in other connections, I decided to 
put them into the witness-box, so to speak, in order to test the values of 
their evidence for elucidating the problems presented by the British forms 
of that section of the genus Orchis which is aptly known as Dactylorchids.” 
Concerning the Spotted Orchis, commonly known as O. maculata, and 
O. incarnata, the seeds are said to “ differ from one another in several ways, 
for example, in colour, shape and size, as well as in the detals of both testa 
and kernal.”” Following detailed descriptions of these, the author remarks : 
“* However slight they may appear in description, all these differences are 
so marked and so constant that, having once separated them, one could 
never mistake the seed of the one for that of the other, nor a testa without 
a kernal, or evena kernal without a testa, provided always that one is 
dealing with ripe seeds.” The seeds of O. praetermissa, O. ericetorum, 
O. O’Kellyi and O. purpurella are also described. 
In conclusion, Mr. Dymes says that a more extensive and detailed study 
of the seeds of six forms dealt with in this paper might possibly yield some- 
thing useful to the systematic botanist. Orchis latifolia, L., remains for the 
author a suggestive mystery to be solved by the experimental geneticist 
rather than by the morphological or the field botanist. “I greatly hope, he 
adds, ‘‘ that someone with the necessary knowledge and skill, patience and 
facilities, will take these plants in hand, and with the help of Mendelism, 
will tell us what they really are, building upon the sure and certain founda- 
tion of scientifically ascertained facts, derived from the plants themselves.” 
GOVENIA SUPERBA.—A coloured plate of this species is given in the 
Botanical Register (t. 1795), where it is remarked that it is so called in 
compliment to James Robert Gowen, under whose care were conducted 
many of the curious experiments upon cross fertilisation at Highclere, the 
seat of the Earl of Carnarvon. G. superba was originally discovered by 
Lexarza and L. Llave on the mountains near Valladolid, a town of Mexico. 
“It is especially remarkable for its stately appearance, the rich orange of 
its flowers, and the long time they continue to open. The specimen in 
Messrs. Loddiges’ collection grows to the height of a man; that from 
which our drawing was made was furnished by Mr. Bateman, in February, 
1834. It is found to bear the hottest and dampest stove, but like all the 
terrestrial species, requires a season of repose.” 
