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O P H R Y S corallorhiza.
Coral-rooted Ophrys.
GYNANDR1A Diandria.
Gen. Char. Nectary consisting of a lip only, slightly
carinated at the back.
Spec. Char. Root branched, fleshy, zigzag, divaricated.
Stem sheathed, without leaves. Lip of
the nectary slightly three-lobed.
Syn. Ophrys corallorhiza. Linn. Sp. PL 1339. Sm.
FI. Brit. 932. Buds. 388. With. 32. Hull. 196.
Light/. 523. t. 23. FI. Ban. t. 451.
Corallorrhiza n. 1301. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 159. t. 44.
Cymbidium corallorrhizon. Swartz. Act. Holm. am.
1800. 238.
Dentaria minor. Ger„ em. 1585.
L lG H T FO O T , who first made this known as a British species,
saw it only in one place, and there sparingly; “ in a
moist hanging wood, on the south side, near the head of
Little Loch Broom, on the western coast of Ross-shire.”
We know not that any person has since met with it, till
Mr. Thomas Bishop, to whom we are obliged for fresh specimens,
found it in small quantities, in J804 and 1805, in
Methven wood 6 miles from Perth. It has not been observed
in England, Wales or Ireland, though surely to be expected
in the boggy alpine woods of the last-mentioned country. It
is perennial, and flowers in July.
The root differs greatly from all other British plants of this
family, being very much branched and divaricated, whitish,
fleshy, somewhat downy. The stem is about a span high,
simple, clothed with 2 or 3 alternate, cylindrical, greenish,
swelling sheaths, which supply the place of leaves. Spike
terminal, of a few flowers, each of which has a minute
bractea at the base of its little stalk. Petals lanceolate, acute,
white with a green rib; 3 of them erect; 2 spreading and
curved downward. Lip ovate, furrowed, as long as the pe- r
tals, slightly notched on each side, in which last particular
the description in FI. Brit, requires correction. The lid of
the stamina is vertical and moveable.