20 



THE ORCHIDS OF NE W ENGLAND. 



I 



find little green cornucopias pushing their way up here and 

 there, from a cleft and fleshy root, each composed of two thick 

 leaves unlike anything else in character, and with a non-com- 

 mittal air about them, certain to spread generously apart 



towards the end of the 

 month, and offer their treas- 

 ure : a low stalk, or scape of 

 pinkish-purple and white 

 flowers. This is Orchis sped- 

 abilis, the Gay, Showy, or 

 Spring Orchis ; called, in the 

 Middle States, "Preacher in 

 the Pulpit," the anther-cells 

 under the canopied sepals 

 and petals probably suggest- 

 ing two clergymen overshad- 

 owed by a sounding-board, 

 the rostellum representing 

 their pulpit. Glad as I am to 

 see its little nosegays dot- 



Fig. 4— Orchis mascula. (From Darwin.) ting the WOods, I take small 



a. anther. n. nectary. ... 



r. rosteiium. /. poiiinium, or poiien-mass. pleasure in gathering the 



j. stigma. c. caudicle of poiiinium. < .... . 



I. labellum, d. viscid disc of poiiinium. P lant > Which IS tOO short 



A. Side view of flower, all the petals and sepals tQ be grou p e d with trilliums 

 removed, except the labellum, of whicn the near half D r 



is cut away, as well as the upper portion of the near and bellworts too Coarse to 

 side of the nectary. 



B. Front view of flower, sepals and petals removed, go with mitellas and vio- 

 except the labellum. ... 



C. One poiiinium, or pollen-mass, showing the pack- lets \ but When analysis IS Uri- 

 els of pollen-grains, the caudicle, and the viscid disc. . , i ,. • , , 



d. Front view of the caudicies of both poiiinia with dertaken, sentiment quickly 



the discs lying within the rostellum, its lip being de- gives Way and I am willing- 



pressed. o / J & 



E. Section through one side of the rostellum, with \y compelled to hold the 

 the included disc and caudicle of one poiiinium, lip 



not depressed. Showy Orchis in high 



F. Packets of pollen-grains, tied together by elas- . 

 tic threads, here extended. (Copied from Bauer.) nonOT. 



Orchis spcctabilis agrees pretty closely with the British 

 Orchis mascula, and I use Darwin's account of the manner 



