THE ORCHIDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 125 



of Miss Furbish in the extreme north of Maine, is larger than 

 the others, and in the structure of its flowers, says Gray, closely 

 resembles Spiranthes. " The lip is barely saccate below, . . . 

 anther ovate and long-pointed, borne on the base of the very 

 short proper column, which is continued above the stigma into 

 a conspicuous long tapering awl-shaped gland-bearing beak. 

 Flowers rather numerous in a looser often i-sided spike ; 

 flower-buds less pubescent (confounded with G. pubescens)!' 



The leaves of the only living specimens I have seen, and 

 those poor ones, were much like those of G. repens in shape 

 but stiffer and less strongly marked. The net-work,- Gray says, 

 is sometimes entirely wanting. Like the other species, this 

 has a " root of thick fibres, from a somewhat fleshy creeping 

 root-stock." It derives it specific name from that of the 

 explorer Menzies. 



A little pamphlet, entitled Plants of Maiden and Medford 

 (Mass.), arranging the species found in those localities accord- 

 ing to the months in which they bloom, has G. pubescens 

 down for May, a most unwarranted performance for it, and one 

 it does not attempt here in Vermont, though in very early sea- 

 sons it might be found the latter part of June ; still, we do not 

 expect it before August. Once in a while G. repens surprises us 

 in July, though this is later than G. pubescens, and being more 

 of a northern and mountainous plant it tempts the early frosts 

 by lingering on through September. G. Mejtziesii agrees with 

 it in date. G. repens, I find, grows in the Caucasus mountains, 

 and Prof. Gray tells us that in America it crosses the line of 

 6o°. G. Menziesii, which is the Spiranthes decipiens of Hooker, 

 ranges westward as far as California, where it is found under 

 the groves of sequoia, and in all probability it outstrips G. 

 repens in the attempt to reach the Arctic Ocean. G. pubescens, 

 is widely distributed in the eastern and southern United 

 States, and together with G. repens is found on the Carolina 

 mountains. 



