MONOCOTYLEDONOUS OR ENDOGENOUS PLANTS. 539 



SPIRANTHES, Richard. Twisted Orchis. 



Sepals and jjetals nearly equal, the lateral sepals diverg- 

 ing, dilated at the base, the upper one connivent with the 

 petals; Up clawed, concave, furnished with two callosities 

 near the base, clasping the short column below; stigma 

 ovate, beaked ; anther attached to the back of the column ; 

 pollen-masses 2, obovate, 2-cleft, fixed to a common gland 

 of the stigma, powdery. Root composed of few clustered 

 tubers or fleshy fibers; stem leafy at the base, sheathed 

 above; floivers small, white, in a regular 1-sided or spirally 

 twisted spike. Near Houston. 



* Floxvers on all sides of the vntwisfed spike. 



S. CERNUA, Richard. Stem smooth below, the npper 

 portion and thick crowded spike pubescent; lo^vest leaves 

 long, linear-lanceolate, the others bract-like and sheathing; 

 Israels ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, longer than the cap- 

 sule; flowers recurved; lip longer than the sepals, con- 

 tracted above the middle, wavy at the recurved obtuse 

 apex, 2- toothed at the base. Grassy swamps and meadows. 

 October. Stem 6-12' high; leaves 4-8' long; flowers 

 yellowish white, 3"-4" long. All the coast prairies. 



** spikes twisted, bringing the flowers into a single straight or spiral row. 



S. BREYIFOLIA, 11. sp. Ste7n pubescciit above ; leaves all 

 bract-like and sheathing, or the lowest expanding into a 

 short (l'-2') lanceolate or linear early withering blade; 

 floivers all on one side of the rachis or sparingly spiral, 

 horizontal, pubescent ; hracts ovate, acute, scarcely longer 

 than the ovary ; sepals and petals equal ; lip oblong or ellip- 

 tical, very entire, wavy on the margins, recurved at the 

 acute or obtuse apex, and with two tooth-like prominences 

 at the base. Open grassy swamps in the pine-barrens. 

 October and November. Root of 3 fleshy fibers ; stem 1° 

 high ; flowers 10-20, 3"-4" long, white. 



