266 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SEPTEMBER, 1923- 
THE SEEDS OF THE MARSH ORCHIDS. 
By COLONEL M. J. GoDFERY, F.L.S. 
T the Linnean Society’s meeting of the 21st June an interesting and 
suggestive exhibit was made by Mr. T. A. Dymes, F.L.S., of lantern 
slides of the seeds of the marsh Orchids, together with living specimens: 
and water-colour drawings by Mrs. Godfery, of the species referred to. 
He divided the marsh Orchids into two groups, viz. :— 
MacuLaT#&.—Cells of testa sculptured, 7.e., with spiral coils in the cells- 
of the transparent loose covering of the seed. 
(1) Orchis maculata L. Apex of testa curved and pointed, coils loose. 
(2) O. elodes Griseb (O. ericetorum Linton). Kernel 30 per cent. larger’ 
than in other forms, coils loose, less developed. 
(3) O.O’Kellyt Druce. Testa long, narrow, almost straight, coils close: 
and pronounced. 
LATIFOLIZ.—(4) O. pretermissa Druce. Testa long, straight, not 
dilated above, kernel nearly as broad as testa. 
(5) O.tncarnata L. Testa shorter and broader, much dilated above, 
mesh small, a clear margin of testal cells on each side of embryo. 
(6) O. purpurella Steph. p. and f. Testa dusky, indented above, 
tapering, mesh small. 
The text-figures will show the differences indicated above. Mr. Dymes- 
is to be congratulated on having opened up a practically new line of 
research, for although the younger Reichenbach gave drawings of the seeds- 
of certain Orchids he did not enter intc close comparisons and measure- 
ments. Perhaps Incarnate would have been a better name for Mr. Dymes’ 
second group, as Orchis latifolia has coils in the testa, as pointed out by 
Reichenbach fil. (Icones, xiii., 58), and would apparently come under 
Maculate as far as the seeds are concerned. Mr. Dymes doubted the: 
existence of Q. Jatifolia in Britain, sug ggesting that marsh Orchids with 
spotted leaves are hybrids with O. maculata L. as one parent, as seeds from. 
British specimens varied in different, or even in the same plant. He referred: 
to a Continental form, O. majalis Rchb., whose seeds appear to be uniform, 
and suggested it might be an exiciiched hybrid species, or the parent oF 
both groups. Reichenbach’s son was under no illusion as to the validity of 
his father’s newly-created species O. majalis, which he only mentions as 4 
synonym of typical O. latifolia L., putting it under his Latifoli@ vere a.a- 
genuina. As to modern continental opinion Dr. Keller writes that Dr. 
Schlechter and himself regard O. majalis Rchb. as synonymous with O.. 
latifolia L. 
I have observed O. latifolia L. for three consecutive seasons at Vencer 
above Nice. Here it is evidently a pure species, incarnata, pretermiss® 
