usual victim is included. In the present case, numerous
differences between this plant and O. minor will be detected
upon a close examination of them both. In the latter the
central nerve of the sepals is scarcely stronger than the
others, the lobes of the lower lip of the corolla are equal
in size and length, the stamens are inserted rather higher
up the tube, the style is glabrous, with the exception of a
line of hairs in front below, and the stigma is remarkably
bilobed and its disk purple.
In our plant the stem is erect, simple, from 6 inches to
1| foot in height, swollen at the base, glandular-pubescent,
usually purple, scaly. The scales are more numerous below
; the lower ones broad and ovate, the upper more lanceolate,
soon withering, when they become of a brown colour.
Flowers in a long terminal spike. Bracteas lanceolate,
solitary, longer than the corolla. Calyx of two ovate sepals
lengthened out into long, slender, subulate points, which
are equal in length to the tube of the corolla, usually with
a short acute lobe near their base in front, rarely bifid, with
the anterior lobe shortest. Corolla cream-coloured, with
prominent purple nerves, becoming darker as the germen
enlarges and ultimately reddish brown, glandular externally,
tubular, arched, cylindrical; the upper lip 2-lobed,
with its margins deflexed, wavy, acutely and finely toothed ;
the lower lip 3-lobed, the central lobe longer than the
others and slightly broader; margins wavy, incurved, acutely
and finely toothed. Stamens inserted at about one line
above the base of the corolla, glabrous, but with a few
glandular hairs on their lower part within. Germen ovate,
terminating in a style about as long as the tube of the corolla,
and minutely downy in the upper part. Stigma
slightly 2-lobed, its disk yellow.
Found growing parasitically upon ivy in many places; it
has been observed at Lexlip Castle andMucruss Abbey in
Ireland; at Barmouth and at Oystermouth Castle, near
Swansea, in Wales ; at St. Ives, Cornwall, (where the specimens
figured were gathered in July 1839;) on Berry Head,
atTorquay andatCombeMartin,Devonshire ; on the Worle
Hill by Weston super Mare, Somersetshire; in the Isle of
Wight; and in Guernsey.—C. C. B.