m
mm
O r chi s L a t i f o l i a . M a r s h O r c h i s .
ORCHIS Lin. Gen. PI. G yn a n d r ia DlANDRtA.
NeLlarium corniforme pone florem»
Raii Syn. H e r b ^ B u l b o s Is A f f in e s .
ORCHIS latifolia bulbis fubpalraatis re&is, neftarii cornu conico labio trilobo Iateralibus reflexo,
bra&eis flore longioribus, Lin. Syß. Vegetab. cd. 14. ß. 810. Sß. PL 1334. Fl. Suec.
n. 801. '
ORCHIS radicibus palmatis, caule iiftulofo, bra&asis maximis, Iabello trifido ferrato; medio
fegmetito öbtufo. Haller, hiß. .1279, t. 32.
ORCHIS latifolia. Scopoli FL Carn% n. 1118.
ORCHIS palmata pratenfis latifolia, longis calcaribus. Bauh. Pin. 85.
PALMA CHRISTI mas. Ger. emat. 220.
ORCHIS palmata mas f. Palma Chrifti mas. Park. 1356.
ORCHIS palmata non maculata. L B. II. 774. Raii Syn. ß. 380* The Male-Handed Orchis,, ot
Male Satyrion Royal. Lightfoot Fl. Scot.p. 516/ Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 385.
RADIX bulbofa, bulbis palmatis.
CAULIS plerumque pedalis aut fefqutaedalis; ad
apicem fere foliofus, crafius* nftulofus, fu*
perne fubangulofus, glaber.
FOLIA e flavo viridia, fubere&a, glabra, nobifcum
immaculata, plerifque hujus generis et'lon-
giora et latiora,
FLORES nobifcum faspius rofei feu carnei, fepe
purpurei, raro albi, fpicati, conferti.
SPICA fubovata, foliofa.
BRACTE^E magnae, acuminatze, coloratze, fig.
COROLLA: petala quinque, duo exteriora ovato-
lanceolata, fubere&a, parum maculata, fig.
3. intefiora conniventia, fig. 4. Calcar ger-
mine brevius, conicum, incurvum, obtufum.
^ ROOT bulbous, bulbs palmated, or handed.
STA LK ufually a foot or a foot and a half high,
leafy almoft to the top, thick, hollow, fome-
what angular above, perfectly fmooth.
LEAVES o f a yellowilh-green colour, nearly upright,
fmooth, fpotlefs with us, and both
longer and broader than moft o f this tribe.
FLOWERS with us for the moft part rofe or flefh-
<> coloured, often purple, rarely white, growj
ing in a fpike thickly together.
# SPIKE fomewhat ovate, and leafy.
s|
FLORAL-LEAVES large, long-pointed, and colt
loured, fig. 1.
COROLLA pentapetalous, the two outermoft ovato-
lanceolate, nearly upright, fpotted a little,
fig. 3. the innermoft clofing together, fig. 4.
the Spur fliorter than the germen, conical,
x incurved, and blunt.
J
NECTARIUM obfolete trilobum lineolis et punftis J NECTARY faintly three-lob’d, beautifully variegated
faturatioribus pulchre variegatum, lateribus $ with fmall lines and dots o f a deeper coper
astatem reflexis, fig. 2. | lour, the lides reflexed with age, fig. 2.
STAMINA: F il am e n t a duo; A n t h e r s fub- I STAMINA: two F il am e n t s ; A n t h e r s roundilh,
rotundo-clavatas, e luteo-virefcentes, fig. 5. | club-lhaped, of a yellowilh-green colour’
au£L <> fig, magnified.
The Orchis Latifolia is particularly diftinguilhed from the others, by growing (with us at leaft) only in
very wet meadows, wjiere Valeriana dioica, Mehyanthes trjfoliata, and Lychnis Flos Cuculi, ufually abound,
and from which circumftance, we have called it Marjh Orchis, by its fpotlefs foliage, which is o f a yellowilh-
green colour, and by the uncommon length of the floral leaves, which give the fpike a very leafy appearance.
It comes neareft to the maculata: H a l l e r reprefents the leaves fomewhat fpotted, and L innaeus defcribes
them parum maculata ; we do not find them fo in the neighbourhood o f London ; but probably they may
be fo m other places: Ihould that be the cafe, thefe two plants will approach ftill nearer to each other.
With us, pink is the moft predominant colour of its blofloms, though they are frequently found purple
and fometimes white ; even in the fame meadow.
We need go no further than Batterfea-Meadows to find this plant in tolerable abundance; at a greater
alliance from town it will be found much more plentifully; it flowers towards the latter end of May.
of K ^ more eafl,y cultivated than many of the fame genus, and if planted in a moift border, in a mixture
1 bog earth and loam, will grow to a much greater fize than is reprefented on the plate.