276 
THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
distinct colour-variety. We find that tlie lip of these plants has a well- 
marked centre-lobe, and note that the chief difference from the type 
is in the very heavily-marked lip-pattern of deep crimson. Dr. Druce 
seems to have hesitated to some extent as to the relation of this form 
to his 0 . prcetermissa var. pulchella. It is true that they agree in 
their rich purple colour and heavy lip-markings; hut the habit both 
of plant and flower is different. The New Forest plant is undoubtedly 
a form of O. incarncifa, which the other is not. On O. pratermissa 
var. pulchella, see Journ. Bot. 1923, p. 66. 
O. incarnata var. OdiROLEUCA Wiistnei is recorded in the 
London Catalogue. It is possible that it is British, but we do not 
feel quite certain about it. We have found at Kidwelly in South 
Wales and in East Anglia a stout, pale-yellow form, which flowers 
about a fortnight earlier than the type. A representative specimen 
is dm. high, with a dense spike 8*5 cm. long. At the base four 
leaves strongly keeled and spreading, above two, much smaller, erect, 
equalling the top of the spike. Flowers with a lip of about 6 mm. 
each way, centre-lobe prominent and somewhat deeply cut; they are 
pale straw-coloured from the first, with a faint line-pattern of the 
usual type on the lip. Not having seen the Continental variety, we 
cannot say confidently whether our plant would correspond. The 
former is described as stout, with straw-vellow or bright yellow 
flowers ; it may have pale yellow flowers with brighter yellow lips. 
It seems to be a well-marked and conspicuous form. 
As has already been said (p. 273) Babington in his Manual , ed. 4 
(followed in Wilmott’s edition, 1922), gives august folia Keich. with 
Traunsteineri Koch as synonym, as a /3-form of O. incarnata. In 
reference to this we may say that no one of the numerous forms of 
O. Traunsteineri has been certified as occurring in Britain. As to 
its possible connexion with O. incarnata, we may find the clue in 
Scliultze’s Lie Orchidaceen Leutsclilands and Ascherson and Graeb- 
ner’s Synopsis, under O. incarnata var. serotina Hausskn. It is 
mentioned in both works that this variety has been often mistaken 
for a form of O. Traunsteineri, from which it should be definitely 
disconnected. It is described as a distinct form, slender, usually 
few-flowered, and flowering about a fortnight later than the type. 
We once found in Suffolk two plants which certainly might come 
under this head. They were growing in a wet peaty bog which con¬ 
tained many fine plants of type incarnata and prater miss a, the former 
of which were nearly over, it being July 12. These two specimens 
were in perfect condition, much shorter (23 cm.) and much more 
slender than any others, with pale purple flowers and a lip-pattern of 
very fine, regularly-broken lines. The leaves were narrow and rather 
short, none as long as 10 cm. These plants may be var. serotina ; 
but a great deal more evidence is needed before we can give the 
name a place in our British lists. Certainly O. Traunsteineri 
(august folia ) has no right there. 
The name incarnata suggests that the original plant of Linnseus 
was of the dull rose-pink tint, and with this his description agrees— 
“corollis pallide incarnatis nec rubris.” The largest plants we have 
