56 Bog-Trotting for Orchids 



hyperbored). Its greenish-j-ellow color is conspicuously 

 different from the tones of its distant relative, the 

 showy, white-petaled queen of this swamp. Another 

 spike similar to that of the Tall Green Orchis, but 

 short and smaller in every way, stood near. It was 

 not so tall and coarse as its sister species, and may 

 have been a stray specimen of the Tall White Habe- 

 naria {^Habenaria dilatata). These two species are 

 peculiar in appearance, and many inexperienced bog- 

 hunters would pass them by as weeds, and homely 

 weeds at that. 



Upon closer scrutiny, the peculiar twisted seed-pods 

 of these flowers suggest a rarity. The name Habenaria 

 signifies ** a rein or thong," derived from the shape of 

 the labellum in some species of this genus. They are 

 often also called '* Rein-Orchises." 



On June loth I drove into the Chalk Pond region, 

 on the *' Witch Hollow," or Gulf Road leading to the 

 Centre-of-the-Town; and hitching old Bonnj^, took a 

 circle around the peat and marl meadows, searching 

 for signs of the Showy Orchis {Orchis spedabilis), a 

 species of a sister genus of Habenaria. The Showy 

 Orchis is due here about May 25th, the date on which 

 the early Moccasin-Flowers awaken. 



Four species of this genus unfold upon almost the 

 same day. The Ram's-Head Cypripedium should 

 bloom first, according to general reports of botanists, 

 the Pink Acaule immediately follows, and the Larger 

 Yellow Moccasins, and, at the same time, the Small 

 Yellow Fragrant Slippers unlace their beautiful twist- 



