16 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 
(Il. vERSICOLOR), BLuE Fiac. Stem 2-3 ft. high, rather stout. 
Flowers pretty large, blue, with green and yellow markings and 
purple veining. Pod large, triangular. 
II. SISYRHINCHIUM, BLUE-EYED GRASS, 
STAR-EYED GRASS. 
Perianth 6-parted, the spreading divisions all alike. Sta- 
mens monadelphous. Stigmas three-cleft, very slender. Small 
grass-like perennials with pretty, quickly withering flowers 
borne on $tender scapes. 
a. (S. ANGUSTIFOLIUM), SMALLER BLUE-EYED GRass. Scape 
4-12 in. high, usually unbranched and bearing a single cluster of 
blue flowers from a solitary spathe. 
b. (S. ANCEPS), LARGER BLUE-EYED Grass. Scape 6-18 in. 
high, usually branched, and bearing 2 or more spathes. 
III. CROCUS, CROCUS. 
Flowers sessile on the corm; tube of the perianth very long 
and slender, its divisions all alike or nearly so; stigmas 3- 
cleft ; leaves proceeding from the corm. 
(C. vERNUS), SprinG Crocus. Stigmas short; flowers white, 
blue, or purple, leaves linear. Cultivated from Europe. 
ORCHIDACEZ, ORCHIS FAMILY. 
Perennial herbs with perfect flowers (often extraordinarily 
irregular), perianth of 6 divisions, adnate to the 1-celled ovary, 
which contains an immense number of ovules. The stamens 
are one or two in number and united with the pistil; pollen 
of comparatively few grains held together in masses by cob- 
web-like threads. 
The family is a difficult one, and most of the genera are 
so rare that specimens should not be collected in large numbers 
for class study. Two of the most familiar genera are Cyp- 
ripedium or lady’s slipper, and Spiranthes or lady’s tresses. 
Many of the genera are tropical air-plants, like Fig. 15. 
