EPIPOGIUM APHYLLUM Sw. IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 

 By R. A. Graham 



While searching for Epipogium on July 18th, this year, in one of the very many 

 woods in Bucks, v.c. 24, which would appear to be suitable for it, I was luckily rewarded 

 in finding what later turned out to be a scattered colony of twenty-two plants, with a total 

 of twenty-five flowering shoots. The spot is one of the many in this and neighbouring 

 counties that I had searched without success on several previous occasions. Most of the 

 flowering shoots were small, less than three inches in height above ground level, but 

 two were fine examples, attaining five inches and bearing three flowers. 



The locality, which is necessarily a closely-kept secret, is a typical Chiltern wood 

 where beech predominates. The canopy, locally heavy, is on the whole rather more 

 open than what one might have expected to be ideal for this orchid, and a few plants 

 grew in comparatively light conditions and amongst the type of ground vegetation that 

 invades these woods whenever light gives a chance. In no way did the wood appear to 

 be markedly different from many others in this general area. 



The soil was clearly well drained, though moist, and whereas a few plants grew in a 

 deep mat of decaying leaves, some were on patches where there was practically no leaf 

 whatsoever. It was noted by a careful parting of the soil, that the underground system 

 was apparently not growing in decaying leaf mould, but actually in the mineral soil. 

 Except in one case, chalk was either at or nearly at the surface - in the single exception 

 the soil appeared to be a rich sand, though no doubt in capillary contact with chalk below. 



In general appearance, this orchid is delicate, attractive, and very pallid. The stem 

 is a pale straw colour, with one or two scales of the same colour or slightly darker. The 

 flowers are rather large - about the size of a nickel threepenny bit when fully extended - 

 and nod slightly on their short stalks. 



The lip, which is uppermost, is the palest possible pink, with raised markings of 

 what is perhaps magenta. The sepals and petals, which together give a somewhat palmate 

 appearance, are aureolin yellow*- perhaps better described as a very pale yellowish-straw 

 colour. The larger examples look more than anything else like a plant-ghost, due to 

 the pallid colouring in the darker surroundings. 



A specimen was presented to the Kew herbarium, where hitherto no British Epipogium 

 existed. A second specimen was cut and presented to Mr. Lousley so that he could 

 take photographs in the more satisfactory conditions of his home - some of these were 

 included in the Illustrated Eondon News. Both these two specimens bore only one 

 flower. A third specimen with two flowers was cut for my own herbarium. It was not 

 intended to take any more, and those who saw the plant in situ were asked to make do 

 with a photograph record. However, slugs were active, and three examples were found 

 eaten through at the base but fresh enough for general purposes. One of these, a splendid 

 plant with three flowers, is now also in my herbarium. Of the remaining two, which 

 each had two flowers, one is to be presented to the Cambridge University herbarium, 

 while the other was circulated to Professor Tutin and Dr. Butcher for purposes of illus- 

 tration, and will remain finally in the herbarium of Leicester University. My own 

 specimens will eventually go to Oxford University. 



A later visit showed that the activity of slugs had continued. One plant was, however, 

 found which clearly showed that seed had been produced and dispersed. This specimen 

 is now in the British Museum (Natural History). 



* Royal Horticultural Society's Coluur Chart 



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