EPIPACTIS PALLENS. WHITE-FLOWERED EPI-
PACTIS OR HELLEBORINE.
E PIPACTIS pattens; foliis oblongo-lanceolatis sessilibus; bracteis flore longioribus, floribus erectis,
labello obtuso petalis breviore, germinibus glabris. B r.
E PIPACTIS pallens. Swartz. Orchid.p. 65. Willd. Sp. PI. ml. 4. p. 85. Alton Hort. K m . ed. 2.
ml. 5. p. 202.
E P IPACT IS lancifolia. Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 260. FI. Gall. Syn. p. 172.
CEPHALANTHERA pallens. Rich, in Méyi. du M m . ml. L p . 60.
SERAPIAS grandiflora. Lig h tf. Scot. p. 528.' With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4. ml. Z .p . 42. Smith Fl. Brit.
p. 944. Engl. Bot. t. 271. Pers. Syn, PI. m l. 2. p. 5 13.
SERAPIAS longifolia. Hud s.An g l.p . 393.
SERAPIAS lancifolia. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. ml. 1. P . I I - p. 183.
E P IPACT IS caule paucifloro, lineis obtusi labelli lævibus, a. Hall. Helv. n. 1298. t. 41.
HE L L EBORINE flore albo. Rail Syn. p. 383.
HE L L EBORINE latifolia, flore albo clauso. Rail Syn. p. 384.
Class and Order. G YNANDRIA B IA N D R IE .
[Natural Order. ORCHIDEiE, Juss. Decand. Brown.']
Gen. Char. Labeilum inferne ventricösum; superne vel indivisum vel trilobum, lobo medio majore articulatim
connexo. Pollen farinaceum. B r .
Radix perennis, repens, horizontalis, tortuosa, sublig-
nosa, rugosa, fusea, libras crassiusculas, carho-
sas, flexuosas, simplices emittens.
CaüLIS pedaliä et ultra, erectüs, subflexuosus, pennæ
anserinæ ciassitie, teres, striatus, viridis, inferne
sæpe purpurascens, foliosus.
FöLIA alterna, undique vergentia, distantia, ovato-lan-
ceolata, acuminata, planiüscula, longitudinaliter
venosa, basi breviter vaginantia, inferiora latiora,
acuta potius quam acuminata, subtus non raro
purpurascentia.
Bracteæ foliis simulantes, inferiores floribus duplo tri-
plove longiores, superiores sensim minores, an-
gustiores, omnes lanceolatæ, acuminatoe, subca-
rinatæ, patentes, virides.
Flores in spicam laxam dispositi, inferiores magis distantes,
magni, sordide albi, erecti.
Perianthium sex-divisum, foliol.a erecta, sub-conni-
ventia, demum patentia, quinque exteriora ovato-
lanceolata, subæqualia, concava, extus lineis ele-
vatis ; foliolum intenus vel labellum foliolis exte-
rioribusrbrevius, valde concavum, oblongum, trilobum,
basi inferne ventricösum ; lobis laterali-
bus minoribus iuçurvis, basin columnæ amplex-
antibus ; lobo medio articulate, maximo, subcor-
dato, marginibus lateralibus crenulatis, incurvis,
partem superiorem columnæ amplexantibus, apice
obtuso rècurvo, intus rugoso, flavo-aurantiaco,
prope basin lineis tribus longitudinalibus elevatis
transversim rugosis.
Columna labello paulo breyior, erecta, stricta, subcy-
lindracea, alba. 1
Anthera te-rmi nalis, basi affixa, ar ticul ata, erecta, ovato-
rotundâta, albo-flavescens,' punctis elevatis rugosa,
bilocularis, loculis longitudinaliter dehis-
'Cèntibus.
Mass® pollinis oblôngæ, curvatæ, basi attenuatæ, pallide
flavæ, longitudinaliter bipartibiles, e granulis mi-
riutissimis compactis constructæ.
Stigma anticum, infra apicem columnæ, transVersim
oblongo-quadratum, concavum, marginatum,
viscidum.
Germen perianthii longitudine, sulcatum, subtortuo-
sum, demum strictum, basi attenuatum.
Variât non raro labellis duobus in singulo flore.
Root perennial, creeping, horizontal, tortuous, somewhat
woodv, rugose, brown, throwing out thick-
ish, fleshy, flexuose, simple fibres.
Stem a foot and more in length, .erect, subflexuose, the
thickness of a goose-quill, round, striated, green,
below often purple, leafy.
Leaves alternate, pointing every way, distant, ovato-
lanceolate, acuminate, nearly plane, longitudinally
veined, a little sheathing at the base, the
lower ones wider, acute rather than acuminate,
beneath frequently purple.
Bracteas resembling the leaves, the lower ones twice
. or thrice the length of the flowers, the superior
ones gradually smaller, narrower, all of them lanceolate,
acuminate, somewhat keeled, patent,
green.
Flowers disposed in a lax spike, the lower ones more
distant, large, dirty white, erect.
Perianth six-cleft, the leaflets erect, subconnivent,
at length patent, the five exterior ones ovato-lan-
ceolate, nearly equal, concave, externally marked
with elevated lines ; the inner leaflet or labellum
shorter than the exterior ones, very concave, oblong,
three-lobed, at the base below ventricose;
with the lateral lobes the smallest, incurved, embracing
the base o f the column; the middle lobe
articulated, large,Vsubcordate,. the lateral margins
crenulate, incurved, embracing the superior
part of the column, the apex obtuse and recurved,
within rugose, yellow-orange, near the base having
three longitudinal elevated lines that are
transversely rugose.
Column a little shorter than the labellum, erect, straight,
somewhat cylindrical, white.
Anther terminal, fixed by its base, articulated, erect,
between ovate and roundish, yellowish white,
rough with elevated points, twq-celled, the cells
opening longitudinally.
Pollen masses oblong, curved, attenuated at the base,
pale yellow, longitudinally splitting, composed
‘ of very minute compact granules. .
Stigma anterior, below the apex of the column, transversely
oblongo-quadrate, concave, margined,
viscid.
Germen the length of the perianth, sulcate, subtortu-
ous, at length straight, attenuated at the base.
It varies not unfrequently with two lips in each flower.
Fig. 1. The labellum including the column of fructification. Fig. 2. The labellum seen from within; a. a. the
• two side lobes; b. the large articulated middle lobe. Fig. 3. Upper vein of the lower part o f the labellum;
a. a. the lobes; b. the column of fructification, posterior side. Fig. 4. Under side of the lower part of the labellum
; a. the column of fructification, anterior view. Fig. 5. The larger lobe of the labellum. Fig. 6. Posterior
view of the column of fructification separated from the labellum. Fig. 7, Anterior view of ditto; a. the
anther, b. the pollen-masses which have fallen from the cells, and lodged, as is usual with them, on the hinder
part of the,stigma; c. the stigma. Fig. 8. Front view of an anther, with one pollen-mass removed. Fig. 9-
■ Pollen-mass. Fig. 10. Granules of which the pollen mass is composed;—all-more or less magnified.
Not a very rare inhabitant of several counties in England, but principally found in the midland and southern
ones. My excellent friend Mr. Dalton and myself met with it in Helk's Wood, near Ingleton, Yorkshire; and
Liehtfoot «fives it as a native of woods by Loch Ransa, in the Isle o f Arran. The specimens here figured and described
were communicated in full flower on the 19th of May, by Mr. Graves, from the vicinity of Box-hill, Surrey,,
where it grows in the greatest profusion, principally in the deepest shade, the roots penetrating deep into the soil,
which is chiefly composed of chalk, flint, and shells. Few plants will flourish equally with the present m similar
situations, so overshadowed by the surrounding foliage that they are nearly impervious to the rays of the sun. I t
is therefore not surprising that it only survives one or two seasons when transplanted into a garden.
The genus Scrapias is now confined to the S. Lingua and cordigera, natives of the South of Europe, m whicn
the fructification differs remarkably from the rest of the genus, which have therefore been distinguished by Swartz
with the Hallerian name of Epipactis. From these again Mr. Brown has, with great propriety, separated the species
ovata, cordata, and Nidus-avis. Epipactis, as it now stands, forms a very natural genus; nevertheless the learned
Richard has divided it, principally on account of the connivent segments of the perianth in E . pallens, ensijolia,
and rubra, which he calls Cephalanthera, whilst he retains to E . palustris and latifolia alone the name of Epipactis
;—-and their habit as well as structure seems to justify the separation.
As a species, the present plant is perfectly distinct from the subject of the following plate ( £ . ensijolia)'.
76