l8o SPIRANTHES CERNUA. DROO?ING-v LOWERED LADIES TRACES. 



spired has been considerably increased by the publication of Mr. 

 Darwin's writings, and more especially by his work on the 

 " Fertilization of Orchids." In this book, the celebrated evolu- 

 tionist devotes considerable space to the genus Spirantkcs, and 

 also mentions our species, S. cernua. After a thorough discus- 

 sion of the matter, he comes to the conclusion that everything 

 in these plants is most beautifully contrived so "that the pollinia 

 should be withdrawn by insects visiting the flowers"; and finally 

 closes his remarks with the following sentence : " Then, as soon 

 as the bee arrives at the summit of the spike, she will with- 

 draw fresh pollinia, will fly to the flowers on another plant, and 

 fertilize them, and thus, as she goes her rounds and adds to her 

 store of honey, she continually fertilizes fresh flowers, and per- 

 petuates the race of our autumnal Spiranthcs, which will yield 

 honey to future generations of bees." 



It is very singular that a plant with such a suggestive com- 

 mon name should never have attracted the attention of the 

 poets ; and yet this seems to be the case, at least as far as our 

 own reading extends. The fact appears still more remarkable 

 when we consider the delicious fragrance of the flower and the 

 peculiar circumstances under which it is found, often growing 

 entirely alone, far away from its orchidaceous relations, and 

 coming into flower long after most of the family have betaken 

 themselves to rest. 



Our species seems to be confined to the Eastern States, and 

 to be found very seldom, if ever, beyond the Mississippi ; but, 

 like some of the other members of the same family, it generally 

 grows in considerable quantities wherever it does occur. 



EXPLANATION OF THE Plate. — I. Flower-scape. — 2. Central portion of scape, showing the 

 sudden arrestation of leaves and their transformation into bracts. — >. Root. 



