A.Vn THEIR MANAGEiUENT. 



533 



British and otiier Hardy Orclv'ds. 



of the British Islands, so that a good stock of them ma}' 



easil\- be obtained. In transferring them from their wild 



homes to the garden, the\' must be carefuU)- taken up so as 



not to injure the feeding roots and new tubers. The right 



time to remove them is after the flowers ha\'e faded, say 



September, when the new tuber will have about matured ; 



the wrong time to attempt 



this is when the plants are 



in full flower and the tuber 



is onl}- partly formed. It 



collectors would bear this in 



mind, we should not see so 



many thousands of these 



plants sacrificed in attempts 



to transfer them from fields 



to culti\-ation. The genus 



was founded by Linna;us. 



O. foliosa {.SoAv/d.}.^ A 

 robust species, from Madeira, 

 allied to O. latifolia, and hardy 

 in England. Its stems are 

 about 3ft. high, with shining 

 green ovate leaves, loin. by 

 3in., a spike yin. long by 3in. 

 through, crowded with bright 

 purple, or lilac, or somedmes 

 almost white flowers. Planted 

 in deep fibrous loam and pro- 

 tected from slugs, it makes a 

 very showy border or rockery 

 plant. It blooms in July or 

 August. It is also a good 

 pot-plant, and by keeping it 

 in a cool frame until about 

 February, and then removing 

 it into a warm greenhouse, it 

 may be had in flower in April. 



O. latifolia (Z.).— Common in marshes and moist meadows 

 in this country. It varies 

 the leaves, and size anc 



Fig. 182. Orchis l.\tifolia 



(much reduced). 



considerably in height, width of 

 d colour of the flowers. The best 



forms are fully ift. high, with the flower-sp.ke as lepresentcd 

 in the accompanying illustration, and coloured deep purple. It 

 differs from 0. maculata only m having unspotted leaves and 



