( >RCHIDS AND CYPRIPEDIUM. 



43 



Here must be borne in mind, that of 

 all created plants, orchis appear best 

 adapted to the process of cross-pollina- 

 tion, so necessary to their continued ex- 

 istence as a race. Their extraordinary 

 colors, their fantastic and not infre- 

 quently grotesque forms, their simula- 

 tion of insects and even birds, and their 

 often powerful odors, have reference to 

 the structure and needs of their visitors. 



The reader can derive an excellent 

 idea of these wondrous doings from 

 Darwin's "Fertilization of Orchids," 

 from Gray's "Text-book of Botany," and 

 "How Plants liehave," and from that 

 rich mine of botanical information, Ker- 

 nels "Natural History of Plants," trans- 

 lated by Prof. Oliver. In all these, the 

 beauty and clearness of style, and the 

 admirable pictures make straight the way 

 for any reader. 



When we turn from the genus "Or- 

 chis" to "Cypripedium" we note at once, 

 material difference of structure. The 

 most important of these is the change in 

 number of the stamens from one to two. 

 But a more evident featural peculiaritv 

 is the hollowing out of the lip into some 

 ornate, often exquisite form of bucket. 

 It is perfectly marvellous how this bucket 

 is played upon and modified by nature 

 as one view's the host of cvpripedia 

 that the tropics supply. We 'will note 

 even in the small number of our North 

 American species, how it varies. Thus, 

 in stemless lady's slipper, Cypripedium 

 acaula, it has a deep slit or gash in 

 front, while in the three others here fig- 

 ured, it is a bag with more or less wide 

 month. It is this bucket or sac to which 

 the name "slipper" has been popularly 

 applied. Indeed, the botanical name also 

 refers to a shoe or sandal, the "Slipper 

 of A enns." Our American ones are 

 often generically called "moccason flow- 

 er,'' a more significant name so far as 

 their shape is concerned. 



Of these, Cypripedium spectabile is the 

 most beautiful. It may be called com- 

 mon in our extreme Northern States, 

 from Maine, across the country to Min- 

 nesota. It is splendid enough for any 

 garden, and indeed, is cultivated to an 

 increasing extent, where it is at all possi- 

 ble to imitate its natural, but not impera- 

 tive requirement, a peat bog. Its large 



pouch or slipper is one and a half inches 

 long, snowy white in the body, but in 

 front superbly painted with pink-purple. 

 A group of these noble plants — or a 

 wood full, as one sometimes sees — is a 

 sight for gods and men,— a temptation to 

 any American Persephone. 



The stemless lady's slipper, is, un- 

 doubtedly, the most familiar of any, 

 It is especially fond of sandy districts, 

 such as Epigaea also likes, and in such 

 places as in parts of Rhode Island, it is 

 abundant. Averaging about a foot in 

 height, it is downy and two-leaved at 

 the base of the scape. In rare cases the 

 writer has seen two flowers to the scape. 

 Usually there is but one ; this, 

 except in the high north, (Maine, New 

 Brunswick, etc.) generally rose-purple. 

 The Manual says "rarely white." In 

 New Brunswick we would note "rarely 

 purple," generally white. This albin- 

 ism is apt to develop in plants as they ap- 

 proach boreal or alpine situations. The 

 big bract, overarching the flower, as seen 

 in our picture, is green, while the sepals 

 are of a peculiar livid, or brownish-green 

 color. The slipper is marked by its in- 

 tricate veins of a deeper shade of its 

 body color. The big, plaited, parallel- 

 veined leaves are conspicuous at any sea- 

 son. This plant also readily bears trans- 

 planting. 



The Lady's Slipper. 

 Perhaps Titania, wandering by the way. 

 Espied this slipper in her path one day; 

 A yellow sandal, striped with bands of red, 

 And stitched with many a mystic golden 

 thread. 



She doffed the satin wonder of a shoe — 

 Beyond the beauties that we mortals knew, 

 And left it here by elfin wishes blessed, — 

 A peerless sandal that a queen had pressed. 

 Or is this slipper gleaming in the grass, 

 Pair Cinderella's tiny shoe of glass? 

 May be the Prince, who never can forget 

 His lovely partner, seeks its fellow yet. 

 Or did some Indian princess, in the chase, 

 Leave here a relic of her dusky race? 

 A beaded buskin, set with gems and gold — 

 A prize indeed, for any chieftain bold. 

 I think no mortal can attain the gift, 

 This wondrous treasure from the ground to 



lift; 

 The tale may yet be told by fairy pen— 

 Or poet gifted o'er his fellow men. 



