ORCHID FAMILY 



the one from the other. The blephariglottis is the sweet- 

 scented, pure white one. When the flowers are fresh, no 

 purer white than theirs can be imagined. Unfortunately 

 when faded, they tun. a dingy brown. 



ORCHIDACE^: ORCHID FAMILY 



Habenaria ciliaris, (L.) R. Br. 



Orange-yellow Yellow Fringed Orchid. 



July-August 



Habenaria: for derivation see blephariglottis. 

 Cilaris: Latin for eyelash. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: peat bogs. 



THE PLANT: eight inches to two feet high; the stem un- 

 branched, without hairs, slightly grooved. 



THE LEAVES: erect; alternate; lanceolate; the lower four 

 inches to six inches long; the upper decidedly smaller, 

 one inch to two inches long; without hairs on either 

 surface; acute at the apex; markedly clasping; entire; 

 parallel- veined. 



THE FLOWERS: medium-sized, numerous in a raceme on 

 stems about as long as the flowers themselves, very much 

 fringed; the bracts linear to lanceolate. 



THE FRUIT: a capsule. 



There are so many " False" plants, as False Solomon's 

 Seal or False Toadflax, that it is a real pleasure to meet 

 with the genuine Solomon's Seal or the genuine Toadflax, 

 so, when so many plants (and even once a mushroom 

 growth) have been mistaken for the Yellow Orchid, it is a 

 satisfaction to know what to expect in the real flower. 

 How much greater pleasure it would be actually to find 

 in the original this orchid, which is so elusive on Nantucket. 



