46 OUR NATIVE ORCHIDS 



such as the Round-leafed and Hooker's Orchis, then one 

 must learn to separate this from the preceding one by 

 noticing that the Tubercled Orchis has a leafy stem, and 

 that the Small Green Wood Orchis has only a single leaf at 

 its base and bracts the rest of the way up the stem. Another 

 distinguishing feature is that the spur in this one is short and 

 does not swing down under its twisted ovary like a crescent 

 moon, as in the one just described. 



Having noticed these characteristic differences, one may 

 dwell upon the general features. The stem is rather stout, 

 and at most two feet high. The leaves that crowd upon it 

 are elliptical or lance shaped, and may or may not be sharp- 

 pointed. They are sometimes a foot long, but usually about 

 half that length. The spike of flowers is about the length 

 of a finger, though it may grow to six inches, and the little 

 sharp green bracts bristle out between the small greenish- 

 yellow flowers. 



The characteristic that gives this plant its name is a 

 little tubercle that lies in the middle of the lip, at its base, 

 just as it hangs off below the anther sacs (Plate XXL, 

 Fig. 2). It does not seem to have any particular economic 

 function, and yet possibly nothing has been said about its 

 value, because no one has watched it entertaining its insect 

 friends. Whatever may be its function, it is faithfully 

 produced on the lip of each plant, whether it be found in a 

 wet meadow in Ontario or Minnesota, or in Florida or 

 Louisiana. Some progenitor in bygone ages originated 

 this little tubercle, and with the faithfulness with which 



