ORCHID FAMILY. Orchidaceae. 



There are several kinds of Corallorrhiza, widely dis- 

 tributed in the north temperate zone and growing in dense 

 woods; pinkish or straw-colored plants, more or less 

 parasitic, with large roots resembling branches of coral; 

 the leaves all reduced to sheathing, papery scales; the 

 flowers in terminal racemes, without bracts, on short 

 pedicels, which turn down in fruit, mostly with a short 

 spur, the sepals and petals about equal, the upper ones 

 curving in. 



The curious knobby rootstock, shaped 

 like a bit of coral, gives the name to this 



Corallorrhiza 



multifldra strange and rather unwholesome looking 



Reddish-yellow plant. From living on decayed vegetation 

 Summer it has lost its green leaves, and has only a 



few P a P er y sheaths in their P lace > and the 

 thick, translucent stem is pale and smooth, 

 from one to two feet tall, pink at the base, shading to 

 golden-brown towards the top. The flowers, less than 

 half an inch across, are usually yellow, with reddish-brown 

 tips, and the white, three-lobed lip is spotted with purple. 

 The buds are yellow and brown and the whole color effect 

 is very pretty, as if the plant were trying to match the 

 russet tints of the floor of the forest. The flowers vary 

 from several to many and grow in a long cluster, hanging 

 down when their seeds begin to ripen. This is widely 

 distributed, growing also in the East, but nowhere common. 

 This is a similar plant, but handsomer, 

 n with much larger flowers, duller in coloring 



x 



Bigeldwii and striped not spotted. Instead of a 



Reddish-yellow spur the base of the sepals is swollen over 

 Summer the ovary, which develops gradually into 



an oblon g fruit to which the flower sti11 

 clings, so that the older flowers, on the 



lower part of the stalk, give an odd effect of having long, 

 swollen necks. The seeds are small and numerous. 

 There are other kinds, similar in general effect. 



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