2973.
ORCHIS latifolia.
Broad-leaved Marsh- Orchis.
G YN A ND R IA Monandria.
Gen. Char. Lip spurred. Glands of the stalks of
the pollen-masses contained in a common little
pouch.
Spec. Char. Lip obscurely three-lobed, its sides
ultimately reflexed and crenate. Spur subulate,
shorter than the germen. Lateral sepals patent.
Middle sepal and petals converging. Stem hollow.
Leaves lanceolate, acute. Tubers palmate.
Syn. O. latifolia. Linn. Sp. PI. 1334 ; FI. Suec. ed. 2.
312. Sturm, Deutschl. FI. Heft 7. t. 15. Fries,
Nov. FI. Suec. Mant. 2. 53 ; Mant. 3. 127» Koch,
Syn. FI. Germ. ed. 2. 792. Leight. FI. Shrop. 428.
Gren. et Godr. FI. Fr. v. 3. 295. Godr. FI. Lorr.
ed. 2. v. 2. 289. Bab. Man. Br. Bot. ed. 5. 318.
Reichenb. Icon. FI. Germ. v. 13. 57. t. 402.
O. majalis. Reichenb. Iconogr. cent. 6. no. 770. t. 565.
.A.LTHOUGH Linnaeus always most carefully distinguished
0. incarnata (our O. latifolia, tab. 2308, and of Curt. FI. Lond.
v. 2. t. 184) from 0. latifolia, especially in his Flora Suecica,
they have never been well understood in England. Unfortunately
Sir J. E. Smith applied the latter name to the former
plant, and his high authority misled other British botanists.
It was not, therefore, until Leighton mentioned both species
in his Flora o f Shropshire that attention was directed to
them. There is still much opposition to their reception as