14 Malaxis longifolia.
nion that the plant was identical with Ophrys Loeselii of Europe,
and decided against publishing it under this impression. On the
13th of June, 1816, during an excursion with my class, near Mantua
village, I detected four more specimens, and two others were found by
two of the pupils accompanying me. Since that period I have annually
found the plant growing along the course of the Schuylkill on the
west side, in damp shady woods of rich soil. It is, however, rare,
and rather local, and from its herbaceous hue is not easily seen even
when in flower. Mr. Nuttall found it in the summer of 1818 on the
Wissahiccon creek, near Longstreth’s mills. In all the specimens
found, the characters have been constant; and the only deviation
which has occurred in those I have chanced to meet with, is in
the size, several specimens having flowered when no more than three
inches high. The leaves are usually, particularly in the smaller specimens,
much longer than the scape, which has induced me to affix
the specific appellation of longifolia, in lieu of the indiscriminative
one by which I first designated it in the Prodromus Flora: Philadel-
phicee.
This Malaxis delights in the same kind of soil and situation in which
the other two American species of the. genus are found. It grows in
company with Malaxis liliifolia, Malaxis unifolia, Hyosceris amplexi-
caulis, Ophioglussum vulgare, Botrypus virginicus, Onoclea sensi-
blilis, and other plants delighting in orchidean ground. It flowers
about the second week of June, and continues in flower many days
without much withering.
Malaxis longifolia. 15
The opinion of the identity of this plant with Malaxis Loeselii,
(Ophrys,) is decidedly erroneous. If there be any fidelity in botanical
figures and description, those given in the best works of Ophrys Loe-
selii should never lead any one to confound the two plants. In the third
volume of the Flora Batava, there is a fine figure of the European
plant; and in English Botany, Vol. i. Plate 47, there is another good
representation of this rare European Malaxis. In these figures the
spike is twice the length of the leaves—the flowers differently
constructed—the stem or scape triangular instead of four-sided as in
Malaxis longifolia, and the petals not horizontal. The spike is fewer-
flowered than in the present plant.
Fig. 1. Represents a plant of the largest size in flower of Malaxis
longifolia.
2. A flower separated and magnified.