C 4 3 7 J
S E R A P I A S rubra*
P urple Helleborine.
G T N A N D R 1 A Diandria.
G en. C har. NeBary ovate, gibbous, with an ovate lip*
Sp e c . C har. Root creeping. Leaves lanceolate.
Bra6teæ longer than the germen. Flowers ere61.
Lip acute, marked with undulating lines.
Sy n . Serapias rubra. Linn. Syji. Peg. ed. 14. 816.
With. 42. FI. Dan. t. 345.
S. longifolia i. Hudf. 394.
S. grandiflora 0. With. ed. 2. ioox.
Helleborine montana anguftifolia purpurafcens. Rail
Syn. 384.
Epipa6tis N. 129,9-. Hall. Hifi. v. 2. 156. t. 42.
D IL L E N IU S , in his edition of Ray’s Synopfis, inferts this
as a native of Ireland, on the authority of Plukenet ■, Hudfon'
fays it grows in the north part of Yorkfhire; but Dr. "Withering,
who in his third edition has firft rightly explained the fpecies-
of Serapias,. mentions the rubra as a very doubtful native. We
are enabled to decide the queftion by means of this wild fpe-
cimen, gathered laft June on a fteep ftony bank, doping to
the fouth, on Hampton- Common, Gloucefterfhire, by Mrs.
Smith of Barnham Houfe in that neighbourhood, who ob-
ferved about a dozen- of the plants- within a fmall fpace. . In
the following month we received fpecimens gathered in another
part of the fame county by the Rev. Mr. Baker.
This is unqueftionably a molt diftin£t fpecies, though confounded
by Hudfon with grandiflora (fee our t. 27x.) and en-
Jifolia3 nor were thefe plants ever well underftood by Linnaeus.
The root creeps horizontally, producing many iong fimple
fibres. Stem perfectly ere£t, a foot high, leafy, downy; com-
prefled, and with fewer leaves in the upper part. Leaves a
little fpreading in various directions, lanceolate, pointed,
libbed. Spike of from three to fix upright purple flowers.
BraCteae lanceolate; the lowermoft fometimes as long as its
correfponding flower, the reft but a- little longer than the ger-
men, fometimes rather fhorter. Germen flender, downy.
Petals all directed upwards, ovate, very much pointed. Nectary
with a fhort blunt projection behind, its lip about equal
to the petals in length, white tipped with purple, lobed on
each fide at the bafe, marked with yellow elevated undulating
lines, and terminating in a fharp point; by which marks it is
certainly diftinguifhed, as Haller obferves, from S. grandiflora..