^84 ORCHID ACE^. [Ophrys. 



broad, gliindiilar, flattisli, iicclarifevous (list. Pollen-masses clavate, of many 

 ci)henii!T triangular granules, iheir broad ends outermost or at the circumference, 

 by which, wlien ripe, they are retained on the glutinons face of the stigma after 

 they are thrown upon it by the falling out of the pollen-masses from their includ- 

 ing cells. Germen green, ohlung, nilh 6 very thick obtuse ribs, scarcely twisted. 

 Capsules erect, ineinhranaceous, 1 or 1 J inch in length, elliplical-oblong, with 6 

 stout obtuse ribs or angles. Seeds pa'e reddish brown, \ery like fine sawdust. 



2. 0. aranifera, Huds. Spider Orchh. " Lip tumid clothed 

 with short dense hairs entire or obscurely lobed, middle lobe 

 large without an appendage or with a mere gland or point in the 

 notch, inner sepals linear, anther acute." — Br. Fl. p. 425. 



ji. fucifera, " Lip undivided with a spreading wavy raiirgin, inner sepals sca- 

 brous."— J5r. Fl. p. 425. 0. fiicifeva, Sm. : E. B. S. 't. 2649. 



On clayey or chalky pastures, grassy banks and sloping .sides of the downs, in 

 stony woods and thickets, but apparently very uncommon in this island. Fl. 

 March — May. If.. 



E. Med. — On a sloping bank on the left-hand side of the Cowleaze (going from 

 Bonclinvch) jnsl below the Madeira villas, Mrs. Clar/cson, 1843 (two specimens). 

 On a bank above the Cowleaze, between Ventnorand Bonchurch, on the left-hand 

 side of the gate leading to .Madeira vale (going from Ventnor), several specimen.*, 

 Miss Thompson, May 6th, 1846!! (communicated by Mrs. Martin). Gathered on 

 the same spot April 28ih, 1848, about a dozen plants. Several specimens 

 gathered in Luccombe landslip, by the side of the main path, May, 1843, by a 

 servant of Miss Roper, of Ventnor!! On St. Boniface down, above St. Boniface 

 cottage, several specimens, Albert Hambrough, Esq. Behind Upper Mount, 

 Bonchurch, Miss Dick and — Saxby, Esq. \ understand from Dr. Martin, who 

 saw ttie fresh specimen fvoiii the former statioji, that it was referrible to the var. 

 /3. fucifera. 



ji. " The only form yet collected in Hants.''* 



Of more humble growth than O. apifera; about 4 — 6 inches in height. Root, 

 as in O. apifera, of 2 whitish, ovoid or snbglobose, sessile tubers, with a few short, 

 stout, fleshy, cylindrical fibres immediately above the latter. Stem leafy, few- 

 (2 — 6) flowered, erect, a little flexuose, sublerete. Leaves as in O. apifera, but 

 rather narrower (?) and of a somewhat brighter or less glaucous green, I think, than 

 in that species, the lower spreading or strongly recurved, wavy and contorted ; 

 those higher up lanceolate, erect, concave, strongly sheathing and very acutely 

 pointed, clothing the stem nearly to its summit. Flowers in size and appearance 

 like those of O. apifera, but fewer and less remote, forming a sort of short termi- 

 nal S])ike. Sepals pale green (not coloured as in O. apifera), oblong-obtuse, the 

 margins deflexed or revolute, 3-nerved, the median nerve very conspicuous, the 

 lateral sometimes nearly obsolete ; the superior sepal narrower than the two late- 

 ral, all at length erect or a little bent backwards. Superior or lateral petals 

 oblong or Ungulate, rounded at the tips, crisped or wavy on the edges, much 

 smaller and shorter than the sepals, and of a green tinged with purplish brown, 

 diverging, erect; lowermost petal (lip) longer than the lateral sepals, oblongo- or 

 obovato-rotuiidate, firm and fleshy, convex above from the deflexion of its sides, 

 its anterior marsrin simply retuse or emarginate, without any appendage; concave, 

 greenish and ribbed beneath, the deflexed portion copiously striate, with branch- 

 ing veins directed towards the entire or subcrenate edges of the lip; upper sur- 

 face of the lip thickly clothed with jointed hairs, forming a broad velvet-like belt 

 or field all around, of a rich purplish brown, fading at length to a paler or 

 snuff-colour, and enclosing a large, perfectly glabrous, somewhat shining area, 

 occupying the centre of the disk and marked with a pale spot, with whitish 



* [Bromfield in ' Phytologist,' iii. p. 907. All the stations, therefore, giveii 

 abj\ e must refer to this form, as well as the author's detailed description.— .Edrs.] 



