ORCHIS PYRAMIDALIS. PYRAMIDAL ORCHIS.
ORCHIS pyramidalis; labello tripartite, laciniis tequalibus integerrimis, supeme basi bicorni, cornu
nliformi, genuine longiore.
ORCHIS pyramidalis. Linn. Sp. PI. p . 1332. Huds. Angl. p. 1382. L ig h tf Scot. p. 513. With.
Bot. A ir . cd. 4. vol. 2. p. 22. Jacquin Austr. t. 266. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1 .
P . II. p . 171. Swartz Orchid, p . 1 1 . Willd.Sp. PI. vol. 4. p. 14. Smith FI. Brit. p . 939.
Engl. Bot. t. 110. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3. p . 246. FI. Gall. Syn. p . 168. Pers. .
Syn. PI. vol. 2. p . 503. Aiton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. 5. p . 189.
ANACAMPTIS pyramidalis. Richard in-Mem. du Mus. vol. 4. p. 55.
ORCHIS radicibus subrotundis, spica densa, calcare longissimo, labello bicorni, aequaliter tripartito.
Hall. Helv. n. 1286. t. 35.
ORCHIS purpurea spica congesta pyramidali. Purple late-flowering Orchis. Rail Syn. p. 377.
Welsh. Tegeiriah bera. -
Class a n d Ord e r . GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA (DIA N D R . Linn.).
[Natural Ord e r . ORCHIDEÆ, Juss. Decand. Brown.]
Char. Ord in is . Perianthium superum. Genitalia basi vel longitudinaliter connata. Pollen (Antheræ 1-2)
in massas figuras determinate coacervatum. Capsula unilocularis, placentis, tribus polyspermis axi valvarum
adnatis. Semina minuta, albuminosa, evitellosa, Br. Prodr. D iv . I. Anthera adnata subterminalis persisted.
Pollinis massas e lobulis angulatis elastice cohasrentibus ; basi affix®.
Gen. Char. Corolla ringens. Labellum basi subtus calcaratum. Glandulce (1-2) pedicellorum pollinis incluses
cucullo unico. B r. in Hort. Kew.
Gen. Char. Corolla ringent. Labellum spurred at the base beneath. Glands (1-2) of the foot-stalks of the
pollen inclosed in one common little pouch.
Radix e fibris paucis crassiusculis, bulbisque duobus
subrotundis.
Caulis subpedalis, erectus, flexuosus, foliosus.
Folia pallide viridia, immaculata, lanceolata, carinata,
striata, basi vaginantia, inferiora longiora, patents
, superiora sensim minora, erecta, magis vaginantia.
Bracteje subulato-lanceolatas, florem subæquantes,
vindes, vel fusco-purpureas.
Spica densa, multiflora, primum pyramidalis, demum
magis rotundata.
Flores spiraliter dispositi, vivide purpureo-rosei, unicolores,
rarius lactei.
Petala ovato-lanceolata, concava, dorso subcarinata,
duo exteriora patentia, tria interiora plerumque
magis minusve conniventia. Labellum pendens,
trifid um, laciniis asquahbus, obtusis, basi supeme
longitudinaliter bilamellifero. Calcar subulato-
filiforme, flexuosum, decurvum, germinelongius.
Colümna fructificationis perbrevis.
Anthera terminalis, erecta, bilocularis. Massas Pollinis
atro-virides (in varietate lactea pallide flavæ).
Germen elongatum, tortuosum.
Stigma subquadratum, viscidum, roseum.
Root composed of small thickish fibres, and o f two
roundish bulbs.
Stem about a foot high, erect, flexuose, leafy.
Leaves pale green, not spotted, lanceolate, carinate,
striated, sheathing a t the base, the lowest the
longest, patent, theupper ones gradually smaller,
erect, the greater part o f them sheathing.'
Bracteas between subulate and lanceolate, equalling
the flower in length, green, or dark purple.
Sipk e dense, many-flowered, a t first pyramidal, and
afterwards becoming rounder.
Flowers spirally arranged, of a vivid rosy purple colour,
all of the same hue, rarely cream-coloured.
P etals ovato-lanceolate, concave, somewhat keeled at
the back, the two exterior patent, the three interior
ones generally more or less connivent. Labellum
pendent, trifid, the segments equal, obtuse,
at the base above having two longitudinal
appendages. Spur between subulate and filiform,
flexuose, bent downwards, longer than the germen.
Column of fructification very short.
An th e r terminal, erect, two-celled. Pollen-Masses
dark green (in the cream-coloured variety of a
pale yellow).
Ge rm en elongated, twisted.
St igma subquadrate, viscid, rose-coloured.
Etg. I. Flower. Fig. 2. Column o f fructification. Fig. 3. Pollen-Masses. Fig. 4. Flower of the cream-
coloured variety. Fig. 5. Pollen-Masses of the same—all magnified.
By road sides, in pastures and waste grounds, where the soil is clayey or calcareous, this Orchis grows, varying
®uch in size, as well as in the appearance of its spike of flowers. Till the uppermost blossoms are expanded, the
spike of inflorescence has a remarkably pyramidal form; but when that has taken place, its extremity becomes
more obtuse, and the whole consequently rounder.
I he flowers,, which have a very sweet and agreeable smell, grow with the greatest regularity in a spiral form,
, ^is arrangement is best seen when nearly all are fully open. They are sometimes found white, or rather
cream-coloured^ in which state charming specimens were communicated from woods belonging to Sir Lucas Peovs
near Box-Hill, Surrey, by Mr. Graves, in 1819- ^
this plant is in perfection towards the latter end of June.
a ?,m ^le !eaves ° f this species there is a peculiarity in the singularly pale green colour, and their narrow and
g'agually acuminated form; but the most striking character is to be found in the two protuberances or lamellm at
e baso o f the upper surface o f the labellum, which in conjunction with the single gland uniting the two pollen-
asse^ (as in Orchis hircitia) has induced Richard to constitute of it the genus Anacamptis.