ORCHID FAMILY. Orctildaceae. 



drawn together with the pollinia which are already 

 attached to it at the back. When the flower first opens 

 the tube or passage between the rostellum and the lip is 

 exceedingly narrow, hence, the former is easily ruptured 

 by visitors. Later the space widens as the column 

 topped by the rostellum moves upward in the maturer 

 development of the flower. As a consequence, only 

 those flowers which are mature are sufficiently open for 

 the insect to reaoh the stigma and thereon leave the 

 pollen of a younger flower. The name is from the 

 Greek, for coil and flower, alluding to the spiral growth 

 of the flowers. 6-24 inches high ; not more than 9 

 inches in northern N. H. In wet meadows and grassy 

 swamps. Me. , south, and west to Minn, and Neb. 



A slender and tall species with grasslike 

 Ladies' Tresses li ^ llt g reen leaves, and a leafy stem bear- 

 Spiranthes ing a much twisted flower-spike of yellow= 

 prcecox white spreading blossoms. The lateral 



Yellowish sepals free, the upper one closely con- 

 Jiil* C AU ust nec ted with the two petals, the lip often 

 dark-striped. 10-30 inches high. In moist 

 grassy places. A southern species confined to the 

 Atlantic seaboard from N. J. to Tex. 



An exceedingly slender and tall species, 

 Slender Ladies' 

 Tresses smooth or rarely woolly above, bearing 



Spiranthes small withering bracts or leaflets along the 

 gradlis flower-stem which is terminated by a very- 



Cream white mucn twisted cluster of very many slender 

 October" flowers, translucent cream white, and very 



fragrant. The odor of Spiranthes is pe- 

 culiarly aromatic, reminiscent of the horse-chestnut, but 

 remarkably sweet. The sepals of the flower are a little 

 longer than the lip, which is greenish above with white 

 margins. The ovate leaves at the root, wither before the 

 flowers bloom. Visited by the bumblebee (Bombus 

 Americanorum) and the small bee, Calliopsis andreni- 

 formis (Prof. Robertson). 10-22 inches high. Common 

 in dry situations, in pastures, fields, and half -wooded 

 hillsides. Me., south, and west to Minn, and Kan. It 

 is rare in central N. H., where S. cernua is plentiful. 



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