fa x [ 632 ]
O R C H I S maculata.
Spotted Palmate Orchis.
G Y NANDR I A Diandria.
G en. Char. N efla ry a four behind the flower.
S p e c . C har. Bulbs palmate, fpreading. Spur rather
ihorter than the germen: lip three-cleft,
flat. Outer petals divaricated.
Syn. Orchis maculata. Linn. Sp. PI. 1335* Hudf.
383. With. 27. Hull. 195. Relh. 334. Sibth. 11,
Abbot. 193.
O. palmata fpecioflore thyrfo, folio maculato. Rail
Syn. 38.1.
J V I o S T common in meadows or moifl: paftures, but it
occurs alfo in groves, and fometimes in dry Darren ground,
flowering towards the end of June or beginning of July.
The bulbs in this fpedes are palmate as in O. conopfea.
Stem leafy, Ample, 12 or 18 inches high, round, folid. Leaves
lanceolate, keeled, fpotted on both fldes with fcattered purple
blotches. Spike ovate, various in flze. Brafteae fcarcely longer
than the germen, purplifli. Flowers very variable in flze,
as well as in the purple lines and fpots on the nectary.^ In
general the ground of the whole flower is white, tinged with a
purple blufh, and the fpots are deep purple, making a very elegant
appearance when clofely examined. The lip'is flat, with
two large rounded fide-lobes, and an intermediate fharp fmall
point. Stamina green.
The only fpecies with which this can be confounded the is
latifolia, but that is eafily known by the great length of its
hratteae, and its uniformly green leaves.
Linnaeus in Flo. Suec. remarks that the bulb which is def-
tined to bear the plant of next year is fo heavy aS to fink in
water, while that from which the prefent herb fprings is light
enough to fwim. This is plainly his meaning, which is not
fo clearly exprefled in Dr. Withering’s conciie tranflation as
ufual with him.