ORCHIDACEiE 269 



On rotten leaves and wood in shady woods, probably parasitic 

 upon roots of Conifers and Beech trees. Scattered but always rare. 

 August. 



Distribution. — Scattered over Europe and Northern Asia ; Alps, 

 Jura, Vosges, Central Pyrenees, Caucasus. Very rare in England. 



Neottia Adanson. 

 Neottia Nidus-avis L. Bird's Nest. 



Rootstock a dense mass of thick, succulent fibres. Stem 

 about a foot high, pale brown like the few loose sheathing scales 

 which take the place of leaves. Spike rather dense, 3 or 4 inches 

 long, with 2 or 3 distant flowers below it, all pale brown. Sepals 

 broadly ovate, nearly acute, petals more obtuse, lip twice as long, 

 deeply forked at tip into 2 oblong, spreading lobes. 



In the humus of shady woods up to at least 4500 feet, as above 

 Engleberg; widely spread. June. 



Distribution. — Europe, Caucasus, Western Asia. British. 



LiMODORUM Swartz. 

 Limodorum abortivum Swartz. 



The only species. Not strictly sub-alpine, though found in 

 mountain woods in Switzerland and throughout the Jura. Whole 

 plant of a violet tinge, 1-2 feet high. Leaves reduced to sheathing 

 coloured scales. Flowers large, violet. Sepals and petals sub- 

 campanulate. Lip entire, concave, spurred. 



Mountain woods and clearings ; parasitical upon the roots of 

 trees. Flowering in May on the Mediterranean and in June and 

 July in the Alps and Jura. Often seen in pine woods above the 

 Riviera. 



Distribution. — Switzerland (Grisons, Tessin, Bern, rare). Jura, 

 France, Pyrenees, Corsica, Styria, Central and Southern Europe ; 

 Algeria, Asia Minor. 



CORALLORRHIZA Scopoli. 



Corallorrhiza innata R.Br. (C. Neottia Scop.). Coralroot. 



Rootstock a mass of short, thick, fleshy, obtuse, and nearly 

 white fibres. A slender plant 6-8 inches high, pale brown or 

 yellowish, tinged with green below, with a few short sheathing 

 scales instead of leaves. Flowers small, yellowish green, in a short, 

 rather lax head. Sepals narrow-lanceolate. Lip oblong, white and 

 hanging, very feebly 3-lobed. 



Woods, especially in the mountains, parasitical upon the roots 

 of Beech, and extending to the sub-alpine zone (e.g. Engleberg). 

 June, July. 



Distribution. — Scattered over Central and Northern Europe, 

 Russian Asia and N. America. In Europe extending from N. Italy 

 and the Pyrenees to the Arctic regions ; Scotland. 



