3-2 
THE PALMATE ORCHIDS OF CRAVEN. 
BY J. N. FRANKLAND. 
The Flora of West Yorkshire is very obscure as to the palmate 
orchids occurring in Craven and very little has been written 
about them since. As there is still a lot of work to accomplish 
on this critical group of plants— in other parts as well as in 
Craven — all we can do at present is to compare our Craven 
plants with those found elsewhere, and so gain some idea of 
why and how they occur. 
All the distinct species of palmate orchids have been 
noted in Craven, besides most of the varieties and many 
hybrids. The following is a list of the palmate orchids seen. 
Orchis lati folia L. 
-O . incarnata L. 
c. pulcherior Dr. 
maculata 
x. prcetermissa Var. pulchella 
-O. prcetermissa Var. pulchella Dr. 
~0 . purpurella Steph. 
-0 . maculata L. 
b. leucantha Dr. 
prcetermissa Var. pulchella 
x. purpurella 
-O . Fuchsii Dr. 
Var. ovata Dr. 
*. incarnata 
x. maculata 
#. prcetermissa Var. pulchella 
x. purpurella 
-O. O' Kelly i Dr. 
The question now arises. Are all these true species, or 
are some of them only hybrids or states ? 
Orchis lati folia is the rarest palmate orchis of Craven and 
although it may be known on more occasions I have only one 
authentic record of it. Many leading botanists consider this 
plant a true species, but my own observations suggest that it is 
merely a hybrid between Orchis prcetermissa, and 0. Fuchsii 
or maculata, or both. In other districts where I have seen 
it in plenty, it grows only among groups of the above- 
mentioned parent plants, and the variations tending to one or 
the other are so many that we have to search long sometimes, 
to get a hybrid to conform to the accepted description of it 
Our one recorded plant for Craven occurred near 0. Fuchsii 
and 0. prcetermissa Var. pulchella, and it is probably due to the 
scarcity of the latter that 0. lati folia is so rare. 
Orchis incarnata is the commonest of Craven’s hollow- 
stemmed bog orchids. Except where it hybridises, and this 
is of very local occurrence, it is very easy to distinguish by 
the flesh-coloured florets with characteristic re flexed lip, and 
straight erect keeled and hooded leaves which are never 
spotted. This plant grows up to 1,500 feet above sea level. 
Its variety, pulchrior, is equally common. The variety is to 
be distinguished by its deep rich purple flowers, and less 
re flexed and rather broader lip. Though both are common, it 
is only rarely that we find them growing together. The type 
plant seems to prefer limestone bogs, while the variety is 
almost invariably found in deep peat mosses. The variety, 
The Naturalist 
