172 HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



C. parvifloriim and pubescens, the smaller and 

 larger yellow Lady's Slipper, are very showy plants, 

 and the easiest to cultivate. If placed in good soil, 

 with an admixture of peat and sand, they increase 

 rapidly, and soon form large clumps. In bloom they 

 are very showy, often giving two, and sometimes 

 three flowers on a stem. Although usually consid- 

 ered species, they seem to run into each other. 

 These plants will live in common garden soil, but 

 they die out in a few years. 



0. calceolus is a European species, with yellow 

 flowers, which proves with us perfectly liardy, and 

 is a very desirable plant. 



Next to the Ram's Head, the smallest species is 

 the white-flowered Lady's Slipper of the West (C. 

 candiduni). It is a very pretty plant, with delicate 

 white flowers, the lip looking like a bird's egg. 



It flowers very freely, and takes kindly to cul- 

 tivation. 



By far the finest species is C. spectabile, a native 

 of our northern woods, and one of the most showy 

 of our native plants. 



It is a tall plant, growing from eighteen inches 

 to two feet high, with large clasping foliage, and 

 beautiful white flowers, blotched in front with 

 pinkish-purple : there is also a pure white variety. 

 In good soil it becomes a very conspicuous plant, 

 giving from one to three flowers on a stem, and 

 soon increasing so as to form a large clump. It 

 blooms in July, long after the other species have 

 faded. 



All the Lady's Slippers continue long in bloom, 



