ORCHID FAMILY 53 



tall. Sepals 3, petals 3. Plants covered witli white powder. 

 Leaves long-stalked, blades oblong or broadest near base, 10- 

 20 in. long. Swamps. Blooming in summer and fall. Fla. 

 to S. C, Texas, and Mo. 



Thalia divaricata. Plants not white-powdery. Flowering- 

 stem 4-10 ft. tall. Panicle widely branched, hairy at joints. 

 Leaves 1-3 ft. long. Wet places. Blooming in summer and 

 fall. Fla. 



BURMANNIA FAMILY (Burmannmceae) 



Low, erect, thread-like plants with minute blue or white 

 flowers. 



Blue-Thread. Burmannia (Genus Burmannia) 



These tiny plants are examples of the delicate growth 

 hidden among the grasses of low grounds. In B. biflora 

 a dark blue or purple usually colors the stems, the scale- 

 like leaves, the flowers, and even the tiny three-winged 

 capsules, which in form resemble those of a begonia. 

 Burmannias are allied to orchids, but, unlike orchids, 

 their flowers are regular. 



Burmannia biflora. Flowers blue, 6-cleft, minute, solitary 

 or several, terminating stem 2-6 in. tall. Leaves scalelike. 

 Low grounds. Blooming chiefly in fall and winter. Fla. to 

 Ya. and La. 



Burmannia capitata. Flowers greenish white or lavender, 

 minute, in cluster terminating stem 2-8 in. tall. Low 

 grounds. Blooming summer to winter. Fla. to N. C. and 

 La. 



ORCHID FAMILY (Orchidaceae) 



Flowers very irregular. Sepals 3, usually petal-like, petals 3, 

 one petal, the lip, unlike the others. Stamen one, united in a 

 column with the style. Fruit a capsule, Seeds duat-like. 



