502 ORCHIDACE^. (orchis FAMILY.) 



more or less, the two lower covering the base of the lip. Lip oblong, short- 

 stalked or sessile, the lower part involute around the column, and with a cal- 

 lous protuberance on each side of the base ; the somewhat dilated summit 

 spreading or recurved, crisped, Avavy, or rarely toothed or lobed. Column 

 short, oblique, bearing the ovate stigma on the front, and the sessile or short 

 stalked (mostly acute or pointed) 2-celled erect anther on the back. Pollen- 

 masses 2 (one in each cell), narroAvly obovate, each 2-cleft, and split into thin 

 and tender plates of granular pollen united by elastic threads, and soon ad- 

 hering at base to the narrow boat-shaped viscid gland, which is set in the 

 slender or tapering tliin beak terminating the column. After the removal of 

 the gland, the beak is left as a 2-toothed or 2-forked tip. — Roots clustered- 

 tuberous ; stem more or less naked above, leaf-bearing below or at the base. 

 Flowers small (ours all white or greenish-white), bent horizontally, 1 -3-ranked 

 in a spike, which is commonly more or less spirally twisted (whence the name, 

 from (Tireipa, a coil or curl, and 6,vQos, flower). 



* Flowers in 3 ranks, crowded in a close spike : leaves at the root and base oj 

 the stem present at the flowering season. 



1. S. latifolia, Torr. Low; naked stem or scape 4-9' (rarely 12') high, 

 smooth ; leaves all next the base, oblong or lance-oblong (1-4' long, 3 - 9" wide), 

 3-5-nerved, contracted into a sheathing base; spike narrow (1-3' long); 

 flowers small (2-3" long); lip quadrate-oblong, yellowish on the face, not 

 contracted in the middle, thin, wavy-crisped at the very obtuse or truncate 

 apex, the small callosities at the base oblong, marginal and adnate for their 

 whole length ; gland and beak of the stigma short. — Moist banks, Vt. and 

 W. Mass. to Mich, and Minn., south to Del. and Md. 



2. S. IlomanzoflB.ana, Cham. Stem leafy below and leaf ij-br acted above 

 (5-15' high); leaves varying from oblong-lanceolate to grassy-linear; spike 

 dense, oblong or cylindrical (1-4' long); perianth curved and the summit 

 manifestly ringent, pure white (4" long), the sepals and petals all connivent 

 in the upper portion or galea; the lip ovate-oblong, contracted below the rounded 

 wavy-crenulate much recurved summit, otherwise entire, the callosities at base 

 globular and smooth ; gland oblong-linear and the 2-horned beak of the stigma 

 short. — High and cool bogs, N. New Eng. to Mich, and Minn., and north- 

 ward; Norfolk, Conn. (Barbour); central N. Y. July, Aug. (Ireland.) 



3. S. cernua, Richard. Stem leafy below and leafy-bracted above (6-20' 

 high) ; leaves linear-lanceolate, the lowest elongated (4 - 12' long, 2-9" wide); 

 spike cylindrical, rather dense (2-5' long) and with the white fragrant flow- 

 ers either pubescent or nearly smooth; perianth horizontal or recurving (4- 

 5" long), the lower sepals not upturned or connivent Avith the upper ; lip oblong 

 and very obtuse when outspread, but conduplicate or the margins much in- 

 curved, wavy-crisped above the middle, especially at the flattish and recurved- 

 spreadiug apex, the callosities at the base prominent, nipple-shaped, somewhat 

 hairy ; gland of the stigma linear, in a long and very slender beak. — Common 

 in wet places, especially eastward and southward. Sept., Oct. Very variable 

 in size and foliage, often nearly losing its root-leaves at flowering time. — A 

 variety, growing in dry ground but retaining its leaves and blooming some 

 what later, has greenish cream-colored or yellowish stronger-scented flowers 

 E. Mass and Del. 



