C 47 ]
O P H R Y S Loefelii,
D w a r f Ophrys.
G T N A N D R JA Diandria.
G en. Char. NeSîary confifting of a lip only, flightly
carinated at the back.
Spec. Char. Bulb oval. Stalk naked, triangular.
Lip roundifh, concave, undivided. Petals linear.
Leaves ovato-lanceolate.
S yn . Ophrys Loefelii. Linn. Sp. PI. 1341. With. Bot.
Arr. 988.
O. lilifolia. 1\elh. Cant. 337. HudJ. FI. An. 390. (3.
Pfeudo-Orchis bifolia paluftris. Rail Syn.382.
R A Y has mentioned this plant as the production of fome
moors in the neighbourhood of Cambridge : but thofe moors
were long fearched for it in vain by fucceeding botanifts,
till the Rev. Mr. Relhan difcovered it a very few years ago,
growing, not very fparingly, where Ray has reported. This
gentleman attributes its remaining fo long latent, to its ufual
fituation clofe to the Items of rufhes. To him we are obliged
for the plant we have figured. Mr. Pitchford many years ago
found, in a meadow at St. Faith’s, near Norwich, one fingle
fpecimen, which he afterwards prefented to the Rev. Mr.
Lightfoot.
A confufion, which originated with Linnaeus, has long exift-
ed between this plant and his Ophrys lilifolia. We can aflure
the public, on the authority of his herbarium, that the latter is
only found in America, and that the Europaean fynonyms,
which he has in feveral parts of his works applied to that fpe-
cies, really belong to ours. See' feveral very good obfervations
on this, fubjeft in the Botanical Arrangement, from Mr. Woodward
and Dr. Stokes, ,