ORCHID FAMILY. Orcbldaceae. 



between the stem and leaf. 3-8 inches high. In rich 

 woods, from R. I. to Fla., Wis., and Kan. 



Distinguished by its circle of five light 

 verticillata green leaves at the summit of the stem. 

 Purple and Flower dull purple with long stem and 

 green-yellow long narrow greenish sepals, erect or in- 

 May-June dining above the circle of leaves. 8-12 



inches high. Moist woods. Me., south, west to Ind. 

 and Wis. Rare in the east. Found in Middlesex Co., 

 Mass. (Miss M. P. Cook.) 



Showy Orchis This, with another more northern spe- 

 Orchis c j eS) j s our only true orchis. There are 



spectabihs ^ wo jjghj. s hiny leaves proceeding from 



and white tne ^ )ase °^ tne stem '■> tne latter is thick 



May-June and angular in section, bearing at its sum- 



mit a few showy flowers with magenta sepals and petals 

 united in a hood, and beneath them the conspicuous, al- 

 most white lip ; behind the lip is the rather long spur, 

 in which is secreted an abundant supply of nectar for 

 the thirsty, visiting insect ; the latter, generally a queen 

 bumblebee {Bombus Americanorum is a common visi- 

 tor), thrusts its head into the spur, brushing carelessly 

 past the rostellum at the top of the column, and, ruptur- 

 ing its thin membrane, exposes the two sticky round 

 discs attached to the pear-shaped pollen-clusters. These 

 discs immediately fasten upon the bee's face or forehead, 

 and when the creature retires it carries with it discs and 

 pollen-clusters. Finally when the next flower is visited 

 the pollen is scraped off upon its sticky stigma. Orchis 

 spectabilis is 5-10 inches high, and frequents rich moist 

 woods, especially hemlock groves, from Me., south to 

 Ga. , and west to Minn, and Neb. It is found in the val- 

 ley of the Connecticut west of the W hite Mts. The name 

 is Latin, meaning a plant with oblong roots. (Pliny.) 



Orchis rotundifolia is a less common 

 rotundifolia species with but one leaf, oval or nearly 

 Magenta round, and smaller flowers about the same 



and white color but deeper than those of O. spec- 



June-July tabilis. From northern Me. and Vt., 

 westward. 



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