Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 95 



RATTLESNAKE PLANTAIN (Epipactis pubescens) 



is a common representative of a genus having the 

 most beautiful of leaves, all basal and radiating from 

 the fleshy, creeping rootstalk. The leaves are ovate, 

 pointed, dark bluish-green, with five to seven promi- 

 nent white nerves and many reticulations between 

 them. The scape is 6 to 15 in. high and carries at 

 its top a densely flowered raceme of small white flow- 

 ers; lip small and sac-shaped, sepals and petals unit- 

 ed to form a hood. 



This Plantain is quite common and often grows in 

 large beds in dry woods, especially coniferous ones. 

 Because of its beauty and the fact that its leaves last 

 through the winter, it is in demand and freely used 

 for ferneries. It is found in the whole of the U. S., 

 flowering in July and August. 



E. repens ophioides has its flowers in a loose 1-sided 

 raceme. The leaves have five white veins and num- 

 erous dark cross ones. Has a more northern distri- 

 bution than the last species. 



E. decipiens has densely flowered 1-sided racemes 

 and plain or faintly marked leaves. It is found from 

 Quebec to the Pacific and southwards. 



LADIES TRESSES (Spiranthes cernua) is so named 

 because of the braided arrangement of its flowers. 

 The leaves are few, grass-like, sheathing the scape 

 near its base. The scape is 6 to 15 in. high, has sev- 

 eral small bracts and ends in a 2 or 3-ranked spiral 

 raceme of white or creamy flowers; petals and upper 

 sepal joined, lateral sepals lanceolate; lip ovate-ob- 

 long with a rough tip. Common in moist fields or 

 woods from Me. to Minn, and southwards. 



SLENDER LADIES TRESSES (S. gracilis) is 

 slender, has its flowers in a single-ranked 1-sided or 

 slightly twisted raceme; lip green, with a white wrin- 

 kled margin. Leaves small, ovate basal. Found in 

 dry ground from N. S. to Manitoba and southwards. 



