Orchis.] ORCHiDACE^. 477 



powerful and not unpleasant smell, hardly to be called fragvaiit, and even disliked 

 by some persons. The roots or tubers, under the name of Salep, were formerly 

 much in demand as an article of diet, and, though, like the Sweet Flag, the spon- 

 taneous growth of our own country, oonlinued to be imported from abroad, till 

 the more general introduction of other farinaceous preparations, as sago, tapioca 

 and arrow-root, nearly superseded its use. The leaves appear to be more fre- 

 quently unspotted on the Continent than with us. 



For an interesting paper on the nature of Salep, by Dr. Lindley, see Trans, of 

 Linn. Society, xviii. p. 423. 



3. 0. ustulata, L. Dwarf Dark-winged Orchis. " Lip 3-par- 

 tite marked with discoloured raised spots, segments narrow, the 

 middle one bifid, outer sepals connivent acute including the two 

 lateral inner ones, spur nearly half as long, and bracteas as long, 

 as the germen "—Br. Fl. p. 420. E. B. t. 18. 



On dry, hilly, open pastures and downs; not unfrequent. Fl. May, June. 2^. 



E.Med. — Tolerably abundant on St. Boniface down, between Ventnor and the 

 Pulpit Rock, and in chalky meadows at Bonchurch, occasionally. Steephill, 

 Albert Hambrough, Esq. ! 



W. Med.— Freshwater, near the cliffs, D. Turner, Esq., B. T. W. !!! Plenti- 

 ful on the sloping sides of the valley by Calbourne New Barn, Lady Simeon, 

 1840!!! 



A charming little plant, with flower-spikes that look as if singed or scorched at 

 the summit, from the rich brownish purple of the yet unexpanded buds and caly- 

 ces of those fully blown, contrasted with the milk-white deeply 3-cleft lip of the 

 corolla, elegantly sprinkled with dark crimson dots. Root of 2 oblong whitish 

 tubers, with a few stout fibres at the crown. Stem erect, 3 — 5 inches high, angu- 

 lar. Leaves several, various in width, lanceolate, the lowermost spreading, the 

 rest nearly erect, palish green, a little glaucous, many-ribbed. Bracts variable in 

 length, never in my numerous specimens quite equal to, and often very consider- 

 ably shorter than, the spirally twisted germen. Flowers in a short, dense, oblong- 

 obtuse, cylindrical spike, about an inch long. Sepals ovate, converging, dark 

 purple, paler after expansion. Lateral petals very small and narrow, spathulate, 

 concealed by the calyx ; lip 3-lobed, speckled with a few dark purple spots, the 

 two lateral lobes oblong-obtuse, the middle one much the largest, wedge-shaped, 

 deeply cleft, the lobes obtuse, more or less notched on their edge and spreading ; 

 spur obtuse, short, conical and curved. 



The Bev. G. E. Smith has remarked to me that this plant possesses the deli- 

 cate Iragrance of Heliotrope. It has not been found in either Scotland or Ire- 

 land. 



ff " Glands of the pollen-masses separate," " bracts with 3 or more nerves, tubers 

 undivided." — Bab. Man. 



4. O. maculata, L. Spotted Palmate Orchis. Spike pyramidal 

 acute, bracteas somewhat shorter than the flowers, lip with its 

 central lobe as long as the lateral ones which are notched at the 

 margin, spur slender pointed. Br. Fl. p. 422. E. B. t. 632. 



/3. Flowers blood-red. 



In woods, thickets, groves, meadows and pastures, also on dry heaths and in 

 moist or boggy places ; an abundant species. Fl. June, July. 2^. 



/3. "A variety with blood-red flowers was found in this island by the Kev. — 

 Price, of Lyminge, and is now growing in his garden," Rev. G. E. Smith in litt. 



Root of 2 compressed, whitish, fleshy, palmate tubers, surmounted by several 

 long, cylindrical, downy fibres. Stem erect, from 6, 8, or 10 inches to 2 feet high, 

 rounded, nearly terete below, acutely ridged, grooved and angled above, filled 

 with a very loose cellular tissue or subfistulose. Leaves sheathing, distant, alter- 



