442 ‘THE ORCHID FAMILY. — [Orehis. — 
about 6 to 8, in a loose spike. Bracts thin, and rather pink, about the 
length of the ovary. Sepals purplish, arching over the much smaller — 
petals and column in the form of a helmet. Lip longer than the sepals, 
convex, broadly and shortly 3-lobed, of a pinkish purple, pale in the middle, 
with darker spots. Spur very obtuse, nearly as long as the ovary. 
In meadows and pastures, very common in central and southern Europe, 
and temperate Asia, rarer towards the north, although extending into 
southern Scandinavia. Abundant in southern England, and Ireland, 
scarcer northwards, and wanting in Scotland. #7. early summer, . 
2. O.militaris, Linn. (fig. 996). Military Orchis.—A handsome 
species, 1 to 2 feet. high, with entire tubers. Leaves in the lower part of 
the stem varying from broadly oval to oblong, usually 3 to 5 inches long. 
Flowers numerous, in a dense oblong spike, with short bracts. Sepals - 
usually purple, converging over the petals and column in the shape ofa 
helmet as in O. Morio. Lip rather longer, of a pale colour, more or less 
spotted with purple, and 4-lobed, or, in other words, 3-lobed, with 2 lateral 
entire lobes and a third middle one more or less divided into 2, with a small 
tooth in the cleft or notch. Spur not half the length of the ovary. 
In hilly pastures, and on borders of woods, dispersed over the greater 
part of temperate Europe and Russian Asia, chiefly in limestone districts, 
extending northwards to Gothland. In Britain, limited to the counties 
bordering on the Thames from Oxford to Kent and Sussex. Fl. spring. 
Among the numerous varieties observed, chiefly in the colour and form of 
the lip, the three following, often distinguished as species, have appeared 
in England :—O purpurea, Huds. ( fusca, Jacq.), robust, with dark purple, 
rather obtuse sepals; the lip variegated with purple, its middle lobes broad 
and short. 2. O. Simza, Lamk. (tephrosanthos, Vill., not precisely the 
same as the Continental variety so named), more slender, with pale purple 
or crimson, spotted flowers; the middle lobe of the lip long and narrow, 
like the lateralones. 3.The true O. militaris, Linn., intermediate between 
the two others. 
3, O.ustulata, Linn. (fig. 997). Dwarf Orchis.—Rather a small 
species, seldom above 6 to 8 inches high, and remarkable for the dense 
spike of small flowers, the deep purple of the unexpanded ones giving it a ~ 
burnt or scorched appearance. ‘Tubers entire. Leaves few, oblong or 
lanceolate. Spike 1 to 2 inches long, with small bracts. Sepals deep 
purple, pointed, converging over the column and. the very small, narrow 
petals. Lip white, with a few purple spots, 4-lobed, or, in other words, 
deeply 3-lobed, with two lateral lobes and the middle one divided into 
2 spreading, obtuse, more or less notched lobes. Spur very short. 
On dry, hilly, open pastures, in central and southern Europe, extending 
eastwards to the Caucasus, and northwards to southern Scandinavia. Oc- 
curs in many parts of England, but neither in Scotland nor in Ireland. 
Fl. spring or early summer. : 
4, O. mascula, Linn. (fig. 998). Harly Orchis.—Stem 1 to 14 feet 
high, with numerous showy flowers, in a loose spike 8 to 6 inches long, 
varying from a bright pinkish-purple to flesh-colour or even white. 
Tubers entire. Leaves rather broad and often spotted. Bracts coloured, 
nearly as long as the ovary, with a single nerve. ‘The upper sepal and 
petals converging over the ovary, but the lateral sepals spreading, or turned 
