808 



THE ORCHID FAMILY. 



In moist woods, widely diffused over 

 northern and central Europe, Russian 

 Asia, and North America, extending 

 from northern Italy to the Arctic 

 regions. In Britain, only known in 

 a few localities in Scotland. Fl. sum- 



Fig. 970. 



IV. EPIPACTIS. EPIPACTIS. 



Herbs, with a leafy stem, and purple, brown, or whitish flowers, 

 rarely tinged with red, in a loose raceme. Perianth spreading ; the 

 petals shorter than the sepals but otherwise similar ; the lip free from 

 the column, thick and concave at the base, the terminal portion broad 

 and petal-like, with 2 protuberances at its base. Column short ; the 

 anther terminal ; the pollen very loosely cohering in the pollen-masses. 



A small genus, ranging over the temperate regions of the northern 

 hemisphere. 



Raceme long and leafy. Flowers distant, dull green or purplish 1. Broad E. 

 Raceme rather loose but short. Sepals pale purplish-green ; 



the lip white, tinged with pink 2. Marsh JE. 



1. Broad Epipactis. Epipactis latifolia, Sw. (Fig. 971.) 



(Serapias, Eng. Bot. t. 269, JE.purpurata, Suppl. t. 2275, JE. ovalis, 

 Suppl. t. 2884. E. media, Bab. Man.) 



Rootstock shortly creeping, with rather thick fibres. Stem usually 

 2 to 3 feet high. Leaves strongly ribbed ; the lower ones ovate and 

 stem-clasping ; the upper ones narrower, lanceolate, and pointed, 

 gradually passing into the linear bracts, of which the lower ones are 

 often longer than the flowers. Flowers pendulous, in a long, one- 



