EPIPACTIS ENSIFOLIA. NARROW-LEAVED EPI-
PACTIS OR HELLEBORINE.
E P IPACT IS ensifolia; foliis laneeolatis acuminatis subdistichis, bracteis minutissinüs subulatis, flori-
bus erectis, labello obtuso petalis dupjó breviore, germinibus glabris. B r .
E P IPACT IS ensifolia. Swartz. A ct. Holm. 1800.0.232. m i l i S p .P l . r n l . i . p . i S . A itm H o r t.
. K m . ei. 2. ml. S. p. 202. Decani. I I . Fr. ei. 3. ml. 3. p. 259. Ft. Gall. St/n. p. 172.
EP IPA C T IS xipliophylla. Swartz. Orchid, p. 65. ‘ ,
CEPHALANTUERA ensifolia. Rich, in Mêm. du M m , ml. 4. p. 60,
SERAPIAS ensifolia. Lirm. Syst. Veget. e i 14. p. 815. (synonymis confnsis fid, Smith.) 'F M . Bat.
A rr. cd. 4. ml. 2. p. 41. Smith Fl. B rit. p. 945. Engl. B ot. tab. 494. ■ Hoffm. Germ.
. cd. 3. ml. 1. F . II. p. 183. Pers. Syn, PI. ml. 2.p . 513..
SERAPIAS longifolia y . Buds. Angl. p. 394,
SERAPIAS grandiflora. Ocd, Fl. Dan. p. 506.
E P IPACT IS caule paucifloro, lineis obtusi labelli Iambus, 0 . B all• Belv. n. 1298,
Class and Order. GYNA N D RIA DIANDRIA.
[Natural Order. ORCHID EiE, Juss. Decand. Brówn.\
Gen Ghar. Labellum inferne ventricosum; superne vel indivisum vel tnlobum, lobo medio majore articula-
tim connexo: Pollen farinaceum. B r ,
Radix subtuberosa, fasciculatim fibrosa, fibris longis,
flexuosis, simplicibus, subclavatis.
Caulis pedalis, erectus, subflexuosus, gracilis, teres,
striatus, viridis, fpliosus.
Folia approximate, distiche disposita, inferlora ovato-
lanceolata, obtusa, omnin'o vaginantia, fuscescen-
tia, superior? erecto-patentia, sensim longiora.an-
guste lanceolata, acuminata, carinata, striata, vi-
ridia, margine subundulata, basi breviter vaginan-
tia.
Bracteie inferiores solummodo foliis aemulantes, reli-
quee germing breviores, subulate, summis minu-
• tissimis. ■ . .
Flores in spicam laxam subdisticham dispositi, magni,
albi, erecti. .
P eria n t i-iium sex-divisum; foliola erects., gubconm-
ventia, demum post florescentiam patentiuscula;
quiqque exteriora subtequalia, ovato-lanceolata,
acuminata, coneava, inferne subgibbpsa; foliolum
interius vel labellum exterioribus breyius, ob-
longum, basi gibbosum atque intus flavum, tri-
lobum, lobis lateralibus minoribus, rotundatis, basin
column® amplexantibus, lobo 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.
' C olumna Fructificationis onwino ut ip 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 ovato-lanceolate, obtuse, altogether
sheading, brownish, the superior ones
erecto-patent, gradually, longer, narrow lanceolate,
acuminate, carinate, striated, green, the margin
slightly undulated, at the base a little sheath-
Bracteas : the inferior ones alone resembling theleaves,
'the rest short® than the germen, subulate, the
upper ones very minute.
Flowers disposed in a lax subdistichous spike, large,
white, erect.
Perianth 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 lobe 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.
Fid 1 Flower with the leaflets of the perianth forced open to show the labellum, the greater lobe of which is
also thrown back. Fig. 2. The labellum removed from the flower in its natural state. Fig. 3. Posterior view
of the column, with the lower 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
of thé column showing the stigma a; from the back part of which the anther Fig. 7, is removed. Fig. 8. Back
view of anther. Fig. 9. Pollen-mass. Fig. 10. Granules of which the pollen-mass is c o m p o s e d a ll more
o r less magnified.
Communicated from Warwickshire by Thomas Purton, Esq. of Alcester who observes in his Flora of the Mid.
land Counties, that it is rare in woods, and gives ns stations those of Oversly•and Raglcy; and by Mr. Gmves (on
the 19th of May) with E . pollens, from Box-hill, Surrey, and Fakeham-wood, Kent. On the 12th of July, 1819,
Mr. Graves found two specimens in Norbury-park, having the lower and upper parts of the stalk quite decayed,
whilst the E. nallens. growing near the same spot, was in full vigour, bearing capsules nearly an inch p d a half
in length. The Botanist's Guide mentions woods at Lowther, WestmorelandAldbury-common, AVilts lire ; the
ton ofAberlev-hill and Wire-forest, Worcestershire; woods at Settle, Ingleton, and Castle Howard, Yorkshire
and these to be its only habitats. From the fewness of these spots it may justly be considered among our very
W t iL flowers are smaller and not quite so showy as in Epipactis pattens, but a slight diflerence will be seen in
the labellum. The leaves are very much narrower than in that species, and are very regularly disti.chous but the
most striking mark of distinction is to be looked for in the bracteas, which in E . ensifolia are much shorter than the
eerinen except in the lower flower; whilst in E . pattens they are considerably longer, and resemble the leaves
& Mr Graves remarks, that this species will not grow under the shade of trees, like the preceding, but that it is
usually found on the skirts of woods in exposed situations. Specimens which he obtained from Surrey in May
last, and planted in his garden, seem likely to live, being planted in a compost of chalk, loam, and decayed vegetar
ble mould.