Fchiu.-irv, 1916.] 



ini' ORCTlll) WORLD. 



99 



OPHRYS ARACHNITIFORMIS. 



AMONGS'I" the inemhers of the Ophrys 

 s^roup, wliicli one meets with alont^- 

 ^ the shores of the Meditcrrane;in, 

 O. aniclinitiformis (Grenier) shows the most 

 diverse forms. One may find it in plaees 

 where the conchtions suit it weh in colonies, 

 sometimes several scores of plants within a 

 few yards, well away from trees, and if on 

 a slope with full southern or south-eastern 

 exposure. 



In such a place several varied forms may 

 be looked for. Some differ from each other 

 in the colour -white, rose, or ]:)urplish — of the 

 outer segments of the perianth ; occasionally 

 one finds the form chlorantha, such as the 

 example figured. Another form has prominent 

 protuberances at the base of the labellum 

 (var. cornuta). And, again, some may more 

 or less closely approach aranifera. As these 

 two species flower at about the same time, 

 and often grow together, it is likel}' enough 

 that they do occasionally hybridise. 



Col. M. J. Godfery has described ( ] oiinial 

 of Botany, October, 1914) a hybrid between 

 Ophrys arachnitiformis and the beautiful 

 O. Bertolonii, which he calls O. olbiensis. 

 And, in the same journal for May, 1915, he 

 gives a figure of this hybrid, and a figure 

 and description of another hybrid, O. 

 arachnitiformis x O. atrata, which he has 

 named Ophrys Kelleri, after the Swiss 

 botanist, whose great work on the European 

 Orchids is in course of preparation. Dr. Keller 

 was, at one time I have heard, inclined to 

 question the right to specific rank of O. 

 arachnitiformis, but I hear that he has now 

 changed his views, and I think anyone who 

 has spent much time in a district where this 

 plant occurs will have come to the conclusion 

 that it is a good species, though a local one, 

 and showing much variation. 



Many of the European species of Orchis 

 and Ophrys occur on the south side of the 

 Mediterranean, north of the Atlas range ; 

 but I do not find O. arachnitiformis in the 

 hlorc anal yliqiie of Algeria and Tunis of 

 Mons. Battandier (1902). I have never 

 visited Italy early enoug'h in the spring to 



l)e likely to see this species m flower. 

 .Signor Arcangeli docs not name it in his 

 I'lora llaliana (1894). The al)be II. Costc, 

 m the I'lorr dc la h'rancc, states that it is 

 to be found in the Departments of Houchcs 

 (hi Rhone, Var, and Alpes Maritinies ; it is 

 in the last two districts that I have met with 

 it. One finds it usually in sandy soil, 

 occasionally almost within reach of the 

 spray from the sea. In cultivation the most 

 ]ierfect drainage and a sand}', fibrous loam 

 are essential to success. 



Ophrys arachniliformis and its albino variety. 



In the Orchid World, Vol. II., p. 171, 

 I gave a description of a plant of this species 

 which I watched, as it flowered, in the south 

 of France for five seasons, from 1908 

 inclusive. Each year it put uja a spike of 

 abnormally formed flowers, some with 3 

 anthers, otJiers with a double labellum. 

 Through a careless slip of mine this plant 

 was described under the heading Ophrys 

 arachnites, instead of O. arachnitiformis. 



