412 Beautiful Plants growing wild 



having no stem leaves. Scape or stem, leafless; from six to 

 twelve inclies high. Leaves two, springing from near the 

 top of the root, oblong, obtuse, plaited, downy. Flowers 

 commonly single, terminal, nodding. The nectary, or lar- 

 gest, and most conspicuous part of the flower, is an inflated, 

 somewhat pear-shaped sac, about an inch and a half long, 

 and half as wide, of the most pure, delicate, and expres- 

 sive purple, or rather a lovely blush color. — Woods ; for in- 

 stance, north of the Arsenal. — Blossoms in May and June. 



Cypripedium candldum White Ladies' Slipper. Stem leafy. 

 Leaves lance-oblong. Lobe of the style lanceolate, rather 

 obtuse. Lip or nectary compressed, shorter than the lance- 

 formed petals. Nectary or flower, white. — Pennsylvania. — 

 May. 



A white species is said to have been found growing wild 

 in Brookline, Massachusetts. A yellow species, I am told, 

 has also been discovered in the woods of the same town; but 

 whether it is the parvijlorum^ described by Dr. Torrey as hav- 

 ing spotted flowers of a yellow color, or the pubescens, de- 

 scribed by the same author as having spotted flowers of a 

 greenish yellow, I have not been informed. 



Cypripedium spedabile Tall Ladies' Slipper. A stout plant, 

 about two feet high, with stem and leaves hairy. Leaves 

 oval lance-formed, plaited, exactly resembling those of Verd- 

 trum viride (Indian Poke or White Hellebore). Flov/ers, 

 two or three, large, the lip much inflated, variegated with 

 stripes of purple and white. — In Augusta, Maine; Woodstock, 

 Vermont. — Blossoms in July. 



Iris. 



Iris grdciJis Boston Iris. Of the same family as the Flow- 

 er-de-luce, and Blue Flag; the latter of which, in particular, 

 it strongly resembles. Stem round, many flowered- Leaves 

 grass-formed. Flowersbeardless. Germs triangular, grooved 

 round the sides. Outer petals slender, spreading, purple at 

 the edge, yellow and veined in the middle,, the yellow por- 

 tion being much greater than in the Blue Flag. Inner petals 

 lance-formed, slightly notched at the end. — South Boston 

 and Cambridge; or in the same places with the next species, 

 but much less frequent. — June. 



Iris versicolor Blue Flag. Almost too common to require 

 description, were it not for the sake of comparing it with the 

 preceding species. Leaves sword-shaped; stem acute on one 

 side. Capsules or seed vessels oblong, three-sided, with ob- 

 tuse angles; outer petals spatulate, or paddle-formed, being 

 obtuse and large at the outer end, and gradually tapering 

 into a stalk at base ; also beardless ; the border purple; the 



