CLASS UYNANDRIA. 185 



roots, 2, 3, or more of them being horizontally con- 

 nected. From each of these arises, in its germinating 

 period, a single ovate and striated leaf, which remains 

 green through the winter, and hence the specific name 

 of hiemale. About May this leaf is succeeded by a 

 scape and raceme of brownish flowers, with a 3-cleft, 

 unspotted lip. The character is to have the petals 

 equal and connivent ; the lip unguiculate, and without 

 any cavity or gibbosity at its base ; the anther sit- 

 uated below the summit of the column ; the polinia 

 4, oblique, and lenticular. 



In Diandria you find the genus Cypripetlium or 

 Lady's-slipper, also of the natural family of the Orchi- 

 deje, and not easily confounded with any thing else, 

 after noticing its remarkable large, ventricose, inflated, 

 saccate or almost bladder-like lip. Most of the spe- 

 cies have also only 4 petals ; and the under one bifid, 

 (indicating that it is formed of 2, which are ingrafted 

 together nearly to their points). The column terminates 

 in a petaloid lobe, which varies in form in each ol the 

 species. They occur commonly in rich, and some- 

 what shady woods, and flower from May to June. 

 They have copiously fibrous roots, and with the excep- 

 tion of the C. acaule, leafy, simple stems, more or less 

 pubescent. The leaves are broad, sessile, and some- 

 what plaited or ribbed ; the flowers, about 1 to 3 on a 

 stem, are yellow, red, or in part white. In Europe 

 there is but one species. In India and in the kingdom 

 of Nepal there are several very curious species, some 

 of them with evergreen leaves. In the United States 

 there are 6 species. 



In the order Hexandria of this class, you meet 

 with the genus Aristolochia or Birthwort. In these 

 there is no calyx ; and the corolla of one ligulate 

 petal with a ventricose base. The capsule is 6- 

 celled, many seeded, and inferior. — One of the most 

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