EPIPACTIS ENSIFOLIA. NARROW-LEAVED EPI-
PACTIS OR HELLEBORINE.
EPIPACTIS ensifolia; foliis lanceolatis acuminatis subdistichis, bracteis minutisslmis subulatis flori-
bus erectis, labello obtuso petalis duplo breviore, germinibus glabris. Br. '
EPIPACTIS ensifolia. Sxoartz. Act. Holm. 1800. p . 23?. Willd. Sp. P l. vol. * .p . 85. Alton Hort.
Kóxo.ed. 2 . vol. 5. p. 202. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed.3. vol. 3.p. 259. Fl. Gall Syn p 172
EPIPACTIS xiphophylla. Sxcartz. Örckid. p. 65.
CEPHALANTHERA ensifolia. Rich, in Mém. du Mus. vol. 4. p. 60.
SERAPIAS ensifolia. lin n . Syst. V sget. cd. 14. p. 815. (synonymis confusis, fid. Smith.) With. Bot
A r j\ ed. 4. vol. 2 . p.4,1. Smith Fl. B r it lp . 945. Engl. Bot. tab. 494. Hoffm Germ
. cd. 2: vol. 1. P . II. p . 183. Pers. Syn.P L vol. 2 .p , $ \3 . W ’
SERAPIAS longifolia y . Huds. Angl. p. 394.
SERAPIAS grandiflora. Oed. Fl. Dan. p . 506.
EPIPACTIS caule paucifloro, tineis obtusi labelli Iambus, (3. Hall. Helv. n. 1298,
Class a nd Ord e r . GYNA.NDRIA DIANDRIA.
[Natural Ord er. ORCHIDEiE, Juss. Decand. Broom.]
Gen. Ghar. Labellum inferne ventricosqm; superne vel indivisum vel trilobum, lobo medio majore articula-
tim eonnexo: Pollen farinaceum, Br.
Radix subtuberosa, fasciculatim fibrosa, fibris longis,
flexuosis, simplicibus, subclavatis.
Caulis pedalis, erectus, subflexuosus, gracilis, teres,
striatus, viridis, foliosus.
pOLIA approximata, disticbe disposita, inferiora ovato-
lanceolata, obtusa, omnino vagi nan ti a, fuscescen-
tia, superiors erecto-patentia, sensim longiora, an-
guste lanceolata, acuminata, carinata, striata, vi-
ridia, margine subundulata, basi breviter vaginan-
Bracteie inferiores solummodo foliis temulantes, reli-
quas germing breviores, subulatas, summis minu-
tissimis,
Flores in spicam laxam subdisticham dispositi, magni,
albi, erecti.
PerianTHIUM sex-divisum; foliola erecta, subconni-
ventia, demum post florescentiam patentiuscula;
I quinque exterjora subasqualia, ovato-lanceolata,
acuminata, concava, inferne subgibbosa; foliolum
interius vel labellum exterioribus brevius, ob-
longum, basi grbbosum atque intus flavum, trilobum,
lobis lateralibus minoribus, rotundatis, basin
columnar amplexantibus, Ipbo medio maximo,
articulate, subrotundo, marginibus lateralibus
crenulatis, incurvis, partem superiorem column®
amplexantibus, apice obtuso, patente vel subre-
curvo, intus flavo, lineis quinque longitudinalibus
elevatis, albis,
Columna Fructificationis omnino ut in E. pallente.
Root somewhat tuberous, fasciculated with fibres, which
are long, flexuose, simple, somewhat clavate.
Stem a foot high, erect, somewhat flexuose, slender,
round, striated, green, leafy.
Leaves approximate, disposed in a distichous manner;
the lower ones pvato-lanceolate, obtuse, altogether
sheathing, brownish, the superior ones
erecto-patent, gradually longer, narrow lanceo?
late, acuminate, carinate, striated, green, the margin
slightly undulated, a t the base a little sheath?
Bracteas: the inferiorones alone resembling theleaves,
the rest shorter than the germeh, subulate, the
upper ones very minute.
Flowers disposed in a lax subdistichous spike, large,
white, erect.
Pe r ia n th six-cleft; the leaflets erect, somewhat con?
nivenl, at length after flowering somewhat patent;
the five exterior ones nearly equal, ovato-lanceo?
late, acuminated, concave, below a little gibbous;
the inner leaflet or Labellum shorter than the
exterior ones, oblong, gibbous at the base, and
within yellow, three-lobed, with the lateral lobes
the smallest, rounded, embracing the base of the
column, the middle Jobe large, jointed, roundish,
with the lateral margins crenulate, incurved, embracing
the superior part of the column; the apex
obtuse, patent or recurved, within yellow, with
five elevated white longitudinal lines.
Column of Fructification exactly as in E. pollens.
Flower wrth the leaflets of the perianth forced open to show the labellum, the greater lobe of which is
aiso tnrown back. Jug. % The labellum removed from the flower in its natural state. Fig. 3. Posterior view
of £ S r M i l Part of the labellum, Fig. 4. Anterior view of do. with the lower anterior portion
of the labellum. Fig. 5. The upper half or larger lobe of the labellum seen from within. Fig. 6. Front view
i the column showing the stigma a; from the back part of which the anther Fig. 7 . is removed. Fi*. 8. Back
oAess aU 'f * d Flg' 9 *>ollen‘mass- -%• 10- Granules of which the pollen-mass is c om p o s e d a ll more
land ConnripfS' Wa™lckshlr? by Thomas Purton, Esq. of Alcester, who observes in his Flora of the Middle
B H 1. ,ls ™re 1 woods> aild §lv?s ^ stations those o f Oversly and Ragley; and by Mr. Graves (on
Mr Crn WUl Pallens\ frotn Box-hill, Surrey, and Fakeham-wood, Kent. On the 12 th of July, 1819
whilst i S i S f ) tW° sp6c.ime,ls 511 Norbury-park, having the flower and upper parts of the stalk quite decayed!
in length i t 111 ^ tl,e. same sPot> was in E vigour’ bearin§ caPsules “eady an inch and a half
top o faL pW tin Gf de “ onhons woods at Lowther, Westmoreland; Aldbury-common, Wiltshire; the
and these t n 1 ,d ^ire-forest, Worcestershire; woods at Settle, Ingleton, and Castle Howard, Yorkshire
rare plants, “ ** habltats> Trora the fewness of these spots it may justly be considered among our very
t h e l t l e t ” t ? Simaller and n0t quite S0 showy as in Epipactis pallens, but a slight difference will be seen in
most striking m-li r r 'T ve.ry mach, narrower than m that species, and are very regularly distichous: but the
germen exrpII7k£ f d,Istlnctlon IS to be. looked for in the bracteas, which in E. ensifolia are much shorter than the
Mr GravpVrllu *ier fl?^er 5 "hllst.,m K Pallens they are considerably longer, and resemble the leaves,
usually I B S - that this species will not grow under the shade of trees, like the preceding, but that it is
last, and i& i l t .•3kjrts ,of W0Qds m exposed situations. Specimens which he obtained from Surrey in May
hie mould' ° “ S garden’ seem llkely t0 llve> being planted in a compost of chalk, loam, and decayed vegeta-
*