the stem, reduced above to slender acuminate bracts, 7-26 cm. long, about 8 mm. 

 wide near the base; raceme many-flowered, cylindrical, conical at the apex, 

 slender, 3-15 cm. long, 1.3-3 cm. in diameter; floral bracts mostly longer than 

 the pedicellate ovaries, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 6-10 mm. long; flowers 

 snowy-white, rarely tinged with pink, with slender pedicellate ovaries which are 

 about 8 mm. long; dorsal sepal oval-oblong to suborbicular, obtuse, 2-5 mm. 

 long, 1-4 mm. wide; lateral sepals ovate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, auriculate or 

 dilated at the base on the posterior margin, obtuse, 4-6 mm. long, 2^ mm. wide; 

 petals linear-oblong to elliptic, obtuse, somewhat falcate, 2-5 mm. long, 1-2 mm. 

 wide; lip uppermost, linear-oblong to linear-elliptic, often somewhat contracted at 

 the apex, 3-8 mm. long, 1-3 mm. wide; spur slender, rarely clavellate, almost 

 horizontal, curved upward, 1-1.6 cm. long; capsule cylindrical, strongly ribbed 

 and tuberculate, 8-12 mm. long. Gymnadeniopsis nivea (Nutt.) Rydb. 



In wet prairies, savannahs and bogs, mainly in s.e. Tex., May-Aug.; locally 

 distributed from N.J. and Del., s. along the coast to Fla., w. to Tex. and Ark. 



The small white flowers with lip uppermost distinguishes this species. 



10. Habenaria flava (L.) R. Br. Southern rein-orchid. Fig. 360. 



Plant slender or stout, glabrous, leafy below, bracted above, 1-6 dm. tall, 

 commonly reproducing by underground stolons; roots short, fleshy, tuberous; 

 leaves 1 to 3, usually 2, expanded just below the middle of the stem or toward 

 the base, ovate-oblong to narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, sheathing the stem 

 below, light-green, lucid, 5-23 cm. long, 1-5 cm. wide, abruptly reduced to bracts 

 above; raceme usually densely flowered (often composed of loosely scattered 

 isolated flowers), stout or wandlike, 3-21 cm. long, 1-2 cm. in diameter; floral 

 bracts very variable in length, shorter to somewhat longer than the flowers, 

 linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, to 3.5 cm. long; flowers yellow-green, small, 

 with stout pedicellate ovaries which are 5-10 mm. long; dorsal sepal ovate-oval, 

 obtuse, 3-4 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. wide; lateral sepals ovate-oblong to sub- 

 orbicular, obtuse, 2-4 mm. long, about 1.5 mm. wide; petals ovate to oblong or 

 suborbicular, rarely subquadrate, oblique, broadly rounded to obtuse at the apex, 

 often crenulate on the margins, 2-5 mm. long, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide; lip very variable 

 in shape, broadly oblong to suborbicular, hastate to subhastate or entire, often 

 with the margins undulate-crenulate, broadly rounded to truncate and occasionally 

 retuse at the apex, strongly arcuate-decurved in natural position, adorned with 

 a tubercle on the median line at or near the base, 2.2-6 mm. long, 2-4.5 mm. 

 wide across the basal lateral teeth or lobules (when these are present); spur 

 slender, rarely clavellate, 4-11 mm. long. Perularia bidentata (Ell.) Small, P. 

 scutellata (Nutt.) Small. 



In mud of densely wooded floodplain swamplands, thickets, wet savannahs, 

 prairies and marshes in Okla. (Waterfall) and in e. and s.e. Tex., Apr.-Aug.; 

 primarily in the coastal regions and lowlands from Md., s. to cen. Fla., w. to Tex., 

 Ark., Mo., 111. and Ind. 



The tubercle or callus on the disk of the lip near its base is characteristic. of 

 this species. 



11. Habenaria limosa (Lindl.) Hemsl. Thurber's bog-orchid. Fig. 361 



Plant slender or stout, glabrous throughout, 3-16.5 dm. tall; roots fibrous, 

 from dilated tuberous bases; stem leafy, provided at the base with tubular sheaths; 

 leaves lanceolate, acuminate, suberect, 9-28 cm. long, 1.2-3.5 cm. wide; raceme 

 cylindrical, laxly or densely flowered, with the flowers distant or approximate 

 to compact, elongated, 6-45 cm. long, 1-2.5 cm. in diameter; floral bracts nar- 

 rowly lanceolate, the lowermost to 4 cm. long and greatly exceeding the flowers; 

 flowers small, green, fragrant; dorsal sepal ovate-oblong to elliptic, obtuse, con- 



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