ORCHID FAMILY. Orchidaceas. 



between the stem and leaf. 3-8 inches high. In rich 

 woods, from R. I. to Fla., Wis., and Kan. 



Distinguished by its circle of five light 

 ogoma green leaves at the summit of the stem. 



Purple and Flower dull purple with long stem and 

 green=yeilow long narrow greenish sepals, erect or in- 

 May-June clining above the circle of leaves. 8-12 



inches high. Moist woods. Me., south, west to Ind. 

 and Wis. Rare in the east. Found in Middlesex Co. , 

 Mass. (Miss M. P. Cook.) 



Showy Orchis This, with another more northern spe- 

 Orchis cies, is our only true orchis. There are 



spectabUis ^^^^^ jj , j. g|-jjj^^, leaves proceeding from 



Magenta o .- x <=> 



and white ^^^® base of the stem ; the latter is thick 



May-June and angular in section, bearing at its sum- 



mit a few showy flowers with magenta sepals and petals 

 united in a hood, and beneath them the conspicuous, al- 

 most white lip ; behind the lip is the rather long spur, 

 in which is secreted an abundant supply oi nectar for 

 the thirsty, visiting insect ; the latter, generally a queen 

 bumblebee (Bombus Americanorum is a common visi- 

 tor), thrusts its head into the spur, brushing carelessly 

 past the rostellum at the top of the column, and, ruptur- 

 ing its thin membrane, exposes the two sticky round 

 discs attached to the pear-shaped pollen-clusters. These 

 discs immediately fasten upon the bee's face or forehead, 

 and w^hen the creature retires it carries with it discs and 

 pollen-clusters. Finally when the next flower is visited 

 the pollen is scraped off upon its sticky stigma. Orchis 

 spectahilis is 5-10 inches high, and frequents rich moist 

 woods, especially hemlock groves, from Me., south to 

 Ga., and west to Minn, and Neb. It is found in the val- 

 ley of the Connecticut west of the White Mts. The name 

 is Latin, meaning a plant with oblong roots. (Phny.) 



^ , . Orchis rotundifolia is a less common 



Orchis . . , , , „ 



rotimdifoUa species With but one leaf, oval or neariy 



Magenta round, and smaller flowers about the same 



and white color but deeper than those of O. spec- 



June-July tabilis. From northern Me. and Vt., 



westward. 



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