30 OUR NATIVE ORCHIDS 



about its pale green-white flowers, which is increased by the 

 fact that those which have gone to seed stand stifily erect. 

 It grows all over the middle of the continent, from New- 

 foundland to British Columbia, and from North Carolina to 

 Minnesota. In the mountains of Virginia it climbs to the 

 height of 4,500 feet. 



Though the blossoms are not very prominent by day^ 

 they are pale enough to show white in the dark, as do many 

 greenish-white flowers growing in shady places; and they are 

 visited by the butterflies and moths that fly after sunset, in 

 that beautiful time when the "Night Watch" of the wood- 

 land is silently taking the place of the sleepy chirping birds,^ 

 and the gay flitting insects of the sunshine. 



The honey that these night visitors seek is deep in the 

 long spur which measures an inch to an inch and a half in 

 length. 



Both the Large Round-leaved Orchis and its smaller 

 relative. Hooker's Orchid, which is next described, have their 

 pollen masses arranged so as to crowd against the eye of 

 an insect visitor, who, by reason of the little beak on the 

 stigma, which may be seen in the illustration of Hooker's 

 Orchid, must push into the opening of the nectar cup as best 

 he can. 



2. hooker's orchid 

 Hahenaria Hookeriana, A. Gray. (Plate XIV.) 



Hooker's Orchid is one of the earliest of our native 

 orchids to appear in the spring. It grows in the same 



