GREEN 



lined against the dark evergreens about which they delight to 

 twine, showing that marvellous discrimination in background 

 which so constantly excites our admiration in nature. The Vir- 

 ginia creeper is extensively cultivated in Europe. Even in 

 Venice, that sea-city where one so little anticipates any re- 

 minders of home woods and meadows, many a dim canal mir- 

 rors in October some crumbling wall or graceful trellis aglow 

 with its vivid beauty. 



GREEN ORCHIS. 



Habenaria virescens, 



RAGGED FRINGED ORCHIS. 



Habenaria lacera. Orchis Family. 



Leaves. — Oblong or lance-shaped. Flowers. — Greenish or yellowish- 

 white ; growing in a spike. 



These two orchids are found in wet, boggy places during the 

 earlier summer, the green antedating the ragged fringed orchis 

 by a week or more. The lip of the ragged fringed is three- 

 parted, the divisions being deeply fringed, giving what is called 

 in Sweet's ''British Flower-Garden" an '' elegantly jagged ap- 

 pearance." The lip of the green orchis is furnished with a tooth 

 on each side and a strong protuberance in the middle. So far 

 as superficial beauty and conspicuousness are concerned these 

 flowers do scant justice to the brilhant family to which they be- 

 long, and equally excite the scornful exclamation, "You call 

 that an orchid ! ' ' when brought home for analysis or preserva- 

 tion. 



ii8 



