ORCHIDACE^ 263 



higher up. Flowers in a handsome loose spike (purple, pink, mauve, 

 or white). Bracts thin, greenish purple, scarcely equalling the 

 ovary. Sepals purple, arching in the form of a helmet. Lip longer 

 than the sepals, broadly 3-lobed, purple, paler in the middle and 

 spotted. Spur obtuse, rather shorter than the ovary. 



Meadows and pastures, often in large quantities. May. 



Distribution. — Central and Southern Europe, extending north 

 into the British Isles and Scandinavia and Western and Northern 

 Asia. 



Such a beautiful series of colour-forms of this Orchis is not often 

 seen, and still less often painted. The author remembers once 

 coming upon a colony of morio in every, shade from white to deep 

 purple on some Lias cliffs on the Somerset coast, west of the River 

 Parret. Rich purple is the usual colour. 



Orchis ustulata L. Burnt-tip Orchis. 



About the same height as the last, but less robust, and noticeable 

 for its dense spike of small flowers, the colour of the unopened ones 

 at the top giving it a burnt appearance. Tubers entire. Leaves 

 few, broadly lanceolate. Spike 2 inches long, with small bracts. 

 Sepals deep purple, arching over the small narrow petals. Lip white, 

 with a few purple spots, 4-lobed, i.e. deeply 3-lobed, with 2 lateral 

 lobes amd the middle one divided into 2 spreading, obtuse lobes. 

 Spur very short. 



Pastures of the hiUs and sub- Alps, extending sometimes higher. 

 May to July. 



Distribution. — Central and Southern Europe as far east as the 

 Caucasus and northwards to Scandinavia. England. 



Orchis maculata L. Spotted Orchis. 



Tubers spreading, rather flat, and divided into 3 finger-like lobes. 

 Stem about a foot high, or sometimes more. Lower leaves usually 

 ovate-lanceolate ; upper ones narrow lanceolate, smaller, often with 

 dark spots. Flowers in a dense oblong spike, 2-3 inches long, 

 usually pale pink, but varying from white to deep rose or purple. 

 Lowest bracts generally longer than the ovary. Lip broadly 

 orbicular, irregularly 3-lobed, sometimes toothed, middle lobe 

 smaller than the others, the lip spotted with deeper colour. Spur 

 slender,- a httle shorter than the ovary. A very variable species. 



Meadows, pastures, moors, and open woods from the plains to 

 the lower Alps ; very common. May to July. 



Distribution. — Europe, Western and Northern Asia. British. 



Orchis latifolia L. Marsh Orchis. 



Usually stouter than the last, the stem more hollow, the leaves 

 larger and often not spotted, the spike longer and more leafy, the 

 bracts longer, the flowers more deeply coloured and less variegated, 



