Orchis Latifolia. Marsh Orchis. 



ORCHIS Lin. Gen. PL Gynandria Diandria. 



Neflarium corniforme pone florem*. 



Raii Syn. Herbjs Bulbosis Affines. 



ORCHIS latifolia bulbis fubpalmatis reftis, neftarii cornii conico t labio trilobo lateralibus reflexo, 

 brafteis flore longioribus» Lin. Syfl. Vegetah. ed. 14. p. 810. Sp. PL 1334. FL Suec, 

 n. 801. 



ORCHIS radicibns palmatis, caule fiftulofo, bra6la^is maximis, Iabello trifido ferrato : medio 

 fegmento obtufo. Halkr. hijl. 1279. t. 32. 



ORCHIS latifolia. Scopoli FL Cam. n. 1118. 



ORCHIS palmata pratenfis latifolia, longis calcaribus» Bauh. Pin. 85. 



PALMA CHRISTI mas. Ger. emat. 220. 



ORCHIS palmata mas f. Palma Chrifti mas. Park. 1356. _ 



ORCHIS palmata non maculata. /* B. II. 774. Rail Syn. p. 380. The Male-Handed Orchis^ Or 

 Male Satyrion Royal. Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 516. Hudfon FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 385. 



RADIX bulbofa, bulbis palmatis* $ ROOT bulbous, bulbs palmated, or handed. 



<> 



CAULIS plerumque pedalis aut fefquipedalis * ad STALK ufually a foot or a foot and a half high, 



apicem fere foliofus, craffus, fiftulofusj fu- $ leafy almoft to the top, thick, hollow, fome- 



perne fubangulofus, glaber. <> what angular above, perfectly fmooth. 



FOLIA e flavo viridia, fubereda, glabra, nobifcum <> LEAVES of a yellowifh-green colour, nearly up- 

 immaculata, plerifque hujus generis et Ion- $ right, fmooth, fpotlefs with us, and both 



giora et latiora* $ longer and broader than moft of this tribe. 



FLORES nobifcum foepius rofei feu carnei, fsepe | FLOWERS with us for the moft part rofe or flefli- 

 purpurei, raro albi, fpicati, confertL $ coloured, often purple, rarely white, grow- 



x ing in a fpike thickly together. 



SPICA fubovata, foliofa* | SPIKE fomewhat ovate, and leafy. 



BRACTE-^E magnae, acuminatse, coloratse, fig. i. | FLORAL-LEAVES large, long-pointed, and co- 



% loured, /#. 1. 







COROLLA : petala quinque, duo exteriora ovato- $ COROLLA pentapetalous, the two outermoft ovato- 



lanceolata, fubereaa, parum maculata, fig. <j> lanceolate, nearly upright, fpotted a little, 



g. interiora conniventia, fig. 4. Calcar ger- \ fig. 3. the innermoft clofing together, fig. 4. 



mine brevius, conicum, incurvum, obtufum. 6 the Spur (hotter than the germen, conical, 



Y incurved, and blunt. 



NECTARIUM obfolete trilobum lineolis et punais | NECTARY faintly three-lob'd, beautifully variegated 

 faturatioribus pulchre variegatum, lateribus & with fmall lines and dots of a deeper co- 



per cetatem reflexis, fig. 2. | lour, the fides reflexed with age, fig. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta duo; Anthers fub- STAMINA: two Filaments ; Anthers roundifli, 

 rotundo-clavatse, e luteo-virefcentes, fig. 5. $ club-fhaped, of a yellowifh-green colour, 



aua. $ fS- 5- magnified. 



The Orchis Latifolia is particularly diftinguifhed from the others, by growing (with us at leaft) only in 

 very wet meadows, where Valeriana dioica, Menyanthes trifoliata, and Lychnis Flos Cucuh, _ ufually abound, 

 and from which circumftance, we have called it Marfii Orchis, by its fpotlefs foliage, which is of a yellowifh- 

 green colour, and by the uncommon length of the floral leaves, which give the fpike a very leafy appearance. 



It comes nearefttothe maculata: Haller reprefents the leaves fomewhat fpotted, and Linn^us defcribes 

 them parum maculata; we do not find them fo in the neighbourhood of London ; but probably they may 

 be fo in other places : mould that be the cafe, thefe two plants will approach ftill nearer to each other. 



With us, pink is the moft predominant colour of its bloflbms, though they are frequently found purple, 

 and fometimes white ; even in the fame meadow. 



We need go no further than Batterfea-Meadows to find this plant in tolerable abundance ; at a greater 

 diftance from town it will be found much more plentifully; it flowers towards the latter end of May. 



It is more eafily cultivated than many of the fame genus, and if planted in a moift border, in a mixture 

 of bog earth and loam, will grow to a much greater fize than is reprefented on the plate. 



