476 OECHIDAOE^. [Orchis. 



In a meadow between Pigslegs and Smallbrook-heath copses I noticed. May, 

 1845, the following variations in the colour of the flowers: — 1. Flowers delicate 

 pink verging on flesh-red. 2. Lip white, destitute of spots ; sepals and superior 

 petals violet without, greenish white within. 3. Flowers violet; disk of lip 

 whitish, shading off into violet at ihe margin, its centre thickly dotted. 



This species, which is very common in England, though quite unknown in 

 Scotland, is certainly one of the most beautiful of the British Orchises, whether we 

 consider the lustre of its deep purple blossoms, emulating the richest velvet, or 

 the diversity of shades and variegated colours they assume. 



2. 0. mascula, L. Early Purple Orchis. Vect. Kettle-cases. 

 " Ijip 8-lobed somewhat crenate, the middle lobe emarginate, 

 outer sepals acute, the two lateral ones reflexed upwards, lateral 

 inner sepals converging, spur obtuse rather longer than the ger- 

 men." — Br. Fl. p. 420. E. B. t. 631. Curt. Fl. Lond. i. fasc. 

 2, t. 62. 



/3. Flowers pure white. 



Very abundant in moist woods, groves, meadows, pastures, and damp, shady, 

 grassy places in general. Fl. April — June. 2^. 



/3. A single specimen found at St. John's, 1846. Near Appuldiircombe. Near 

 Eyde, Miss Lucas, 1839 ! Near Westridge, many specimens, R. Hudson, Esq. ! 



Plant quite glabrous. Moot of 2 unequal, roundish oblong, fleshy tubers, 

 crowned with several long, thick, cylindrical fibres. Stem erect, from about 12 to 

 15 or 18 inches high, rounded, with many obsolete angles and furrowed above, 

 solid, brittle, clothed for a great part of its length upwards with the close sheath- 

 like superior leaves, mostly purplish towards the top. Leaves numerous, closely 

 sheathing, those at the base of the stem crowded and prostrate or decumbent, 

 spreading on the ground in a circular form when growing, but becoming, like the 

 upper stem-leaves, erect after gathering, sometimes nearly a foot long and Ij inch 

 wide, bright green, fleshy, oblong-lanceolate, often somewhat falcate, shorter than 

 the flower-spike, obtuse or slightly pointed, with a minute often brown callous 

 tip, very smooth and shining, moderately folded, with a sharp keel and several 

 parallel nerve-like ribs ; mostly with us elegantly spotted and blotched with pur- 

 plish black, sometimes quite plain ; uppermost leaves inflated and spathaceous, 

 broader, paler and more acute, scarcely spotted. At the very base of the stem are 

 situated a pair or two of opposite, unequal, broadly ovate, membranous, many- 

 ribbed, closely appressed sheaths. Bracts coloured, membranous, lanceolate, 

 single-ribbed, sheathing and rather shorter than the germen, twisted at the tips. 

 Flowers numerous, showy, in a loose, terminal, oblong-obtuse spike, of from 3 to 

 6 or 8 inches in length, varying from bright pinkish purple to flesh-colour or even 

 white, the base of the lip and fauces pale, with a few pui'ple spots and finely 

 downy. Sepals ovate or ovalo-lanceolate, coloured, acute or sometimes even acu- 

 minate, the inferior one incumbent on the lateral petals, 3-nerved, the 2 lateral 

 strongly reflexed, nearly erect and diverging at their points, 4- or 6-nerved. Lip 

 very large, rather broader than long, roundish in circumscription, minutely glan- 

 duloso-pubescent above, the inferior margin trifid, the sinuses obtuse, central lobe 

 emarginate, the segments rounded at the exterior angle and somewhat curved 

 outward, the two lateral lobes rather shorter than the middle one, at length 

 strongly defiexed, all minutely and unequally crenate and waved along their 

 edges, entire only at their bases; lateral petals erecl, conniveut and overlapping 

 at the tips, hollow, ovate and obliquely inserted ; spur ascending, subcyliiidrical, 

 very obtuse, more or less enlarged and flattened at the extremity, bluntly keeled 

 along its under side. Anther-cells parallel, approximate, purplish; pollen-masses 

 blackish or greenish, 2-lobed. Germen coloured, twisted, sheathed at base by the 

 bracts. 



Tiie long spikes of purple blossoms and fine spotted leaves of this Orchis are a 

 great ornament to our moist pastures in the spring and early summer months. 



The flowers, though sometimes devoid of scent, more usually possess a rather 



