ORCHIDACEAE 313 



6. LYSIAS Salisb. 



Caulescent herbs, with fleshy roots or tubers. Stems often scape-like. Leaves mainly 

 basal : blades broad, or those of the steins very narrow or scale-like. Flowers in elon- 

 gated racemes or spikes. Perianth white or greenish. Sepals free, large, spreading. Lat- 

 eral petals relatively small and narrow. Lip entire, narrow. Spur slender, usually 

 longer than the ovary. Anthers with diverging sacs whose beak-like bases project forward. 

 Pollen-mass with its stalk laterally affixed to the back of the orbicular gland. Stigma 

 without appendages at the beak. Capsule usually broadened upward, stalked. 



1. Lyaias orbiculata (Pursh) Rydb. Roots coarse : stems scape-like, 3-9 dm. tall, 

 strict : leaves mainly basal, usually 2 ; blades flat on the ground, orbicular to oval, 1-3 

 dm. long, undulate, lustrous, silvery beneath : those of the stem lanceolate or linear scales : 

 raceme elongated, conspicuous, rather loose : perianth greenish white : sepals various, 

 the upper one suborbicular or reniform, the lateral scythe-shaped, 8-10 mm. long : lateral 

 petals smaller than the sepals, reflexed : lip slender, curved, 1.5-3 cm. long, entire, obtuse : 

 spur surpassing the ovary, 2.5-4 cm. long, curved : capsules oblong, about 1.5 cm. long. 

 [Platanthera orbiculata (Pursh) Lindl.] 



In rich or deep woods, Newfoundland to British Columbia, Georgia and Minnesota. Summer. 



7. BLEPHARIGLOTTIS Raf. 



Caulescent herbs, with fleshy or tuberous roots. Leaves alternate : blades entire. 

 Flowers several or numerous in terminal spikes. Bracts sometimes leaf-like. Perianth 

 white, yellow, purple or violet-purple. Sepals spreading or reflexed. Laterals petals va- 

 rious. Lip fringed or 3-parted and toothed or laciniate. Spur longer than the lip. An- 

 thers with widely separated and usually diverging sacs, their narrow beak-like bases sup- 

 ported on the arms of the stigma, strongly projecting forward and upward. Gland naked. 

 Pollen-masses granular. FRINGED ORCHIS. SHOWY ORCHIS. 



Lip not 3-lobed ; body narrow, not dilated upward. 



Spur about % as long as the ovary. 1. B. cristaia. 



Spur as long as the ovary or much longer. 

 Perianth white. 



Spur about as long as the ovary. 2. B. Blephariglottis. 



Spur about twice as long as the ovary. 3. B. conspicua. 



Perianth yellow or orange. 



Lip with spreading fringe : petals linear or oblong-linear. 4. B. cilians. 



Lip with drooping fringe except;2 tufts at the base : petals cuneate or fan- 

 shaped. 5. B. Chapmanii. 

 Lip 3-lobed ; body of the lobes, at least the terminal one, dilated upward. 



Lobes of the lip incised or erose. 6. B. pcramocna. 



Lobes of the lip fringed. 



Body of each lobe 1 mm. broad or narrower, slightly broadened. 7. B. laccra. 



Body of each lobe markedly fan-shaped. 



Perianth white : fringe as long as the lobes. 8. B. leucophaea. 



Perianth lilac : fringe snorter. 



Lip 1-1.5 cm. broad. 9. B. psycodes. 



Lip 2-2.5 cm. broad. 10. B. grandiflora. 



1. Blephariglottis cristata (Michx. ) Raf. Roots clustered, coarse or narrowly fusi- 

 form : stems 2-6 dm. tall : leaf -blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 5-20 cm. long, shorter 

 and passing into the bracts above : spike oblong, 5-10 cm. long, rather dense : sepals orbic- 

 ular-ovate, about 3 mm. long : lateral petals narrower, pectinate : lip 8-9 mm. long, 

 deeply fringed ; segments as long as the body or longer : spur slender, 4-6 mm. long, about 

 5 as long as the ovary: capsules less than 1 cm. long. [Platanthera cristata (Michx.) 

 Lindl.] 



In swamps, New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana. Summer. 



2. Blephariglottis Blepharigldttia (Willd.) Rydb. Roots coarse: stems 3-9 dm. 

 tall : leaf -blades linear-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 1-2.5 cm. long or shorter above : 

 spike showy, 3-10 cm. long, rather loosely flowered : perianth white : sepals suborbicular to 

 orbicular-obovate, 6-7 mm. long, obtuse : lateral petals smaller than the sepals, toothed 

 or fringed at the apex : lip 6-8 mm. long, sparsely or copiously fringed : spur 1-2.5 cm. 

 long, about as long as the ovary. [Platanthera blephariglottis (Willd. ) Hook.] 



In swamps and low woods, Newfoundland to Minnesota and Florida. Summer. 



3. Blephariglottis conspicua (Nash) Small. Roots coarse or tuberous-thickened : 

 stems 4-8 dm. tall, often slightly zigzag : leaf-blades broadly linear to linear-lanceolate, 

 1-4 dm. long, or shorter above, acute : spike ovoid or oblong, 6-12 cm. long, showy : 

 perianth white : sepals suborbicular, 6-7 mm. broad : lateral petals oblanceolate or linear, 



