AuGcusT, 1906 
I can’t imagine. The “rattlesnake” part 
of the name is clear enough for the Indians 
considered this plant a cure for snake 
bites. G. repens is smaller, but showier. 
The showy orchis (Orchis spectabilis) is 
another little artistocrat whose every line 
spells ‘“‘orchid”’ to anyone who comes upon 
the flower for the first time in the rich woods 
it haunts. See Fig. 2. Whenever you see 
on the ground two large fleshy leaves with 
parallel venation, you may suspect the pres- 
ence of an orchid treasure. This species 
has a stem about six inches high, bearing 
three or four inch-long flowers of purple, 
pale purple and white. 
The great genus Habenaria contains 400 
species, of which eighteen are native to the 
northeastern United States. Eight of these 
will never amount to anything in cultivation 
because they have greenish flowers, nor does 
anyone show much enthusiasm over the 
four white flowered species. The best kinds 
are to be sought among the three yellow and 
the three purple species. Of the former the 
yellow-fringed orchis (Habenaria ciliaris) 
is the showiest. It grows about two feet 
high and bears about ten inch-long yellow 
flowers.on a spike six inches long. It grows 
in meadows all the way from Ontario to 
Florida, and rejoices in wet feet and sun- 
shine, though it has been cultivated in soil 
that is merely moist. 
Of the purple Habenarias, the best is the 
large purple-fringed orchid (H. jimbriata). 
This glorious species has been known to 
attain a height of five feet, with racemes 
fifteen inches long, two and a half inches 
wide and densely packed with lilac or pur- 
plish flowers. It blooms in June. The 
peculiar beauty of this orchid is its broad 
three-parted lip, which is about half an inch 
long, and particularly its copious fringe, in 
which respect it surpasses all other native 
orchids. Although a native of rich woods 
and meadows, the safe thing would be to 
supply it with wet feet, sphagnum and 
partial shade. 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
The smaller purple-fringed orchis (Hlaben- 
aria psycodes) is less desirable as the racemes 
are only two to six inches long, and the fringe 
is shorter. However, a meadow containing 
thousands of them is such a lovely sight in 
July or August that it hurts one to see a 
farmer drain such a spot and add it to his 
arable land. Whenever you hear of an 
approaching catastrophe like this, you would 
do a favor by writing to THE GARDEN Mac- 
AZINE. Perhaps we can prevent it. 
The fringed purple orchis (Hl. peramena) 
has received high praise because its flowers 
are larger, though they lack beautiful fringe. 
The lip is three-quarters of an inch long and 
violet-purple, darker than the two preceding 
species. It blooms in midsummer in moist 
meadows. 
The charming little white orchid shown 
on the cover of this number is known as 
ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes cernua). We have 
seven species in this genus. Four of them 
have the spiral arrangement of flowers that 
is the distinctive beauty of these orchids and 
which has given them their generic name. 
The species with nodding flowers generally 
grows about eight inches high, with a spike 
four to six inches long. It is one of those 
fall-blooming species that always seem to 
be out of season, for it has the exquisite 
delicacy of a spring flower. I know a wet 
sunny meadow where it grows by the hun- 
dred along with fringed gentians—‘‘and I 
didn’t tell you where.”’ It has been success- 
fully cultivated both in sun and shade, in 
wet soil, and in soil that was merely moist. 
FOUR SPHAGNUM-LOVING PINK ORCHIDS 
The Calypso is a lovely, rare orchid that 
resembles a small lady’s slipper but the lip 
does not make a perfect shoe. The plant is 
only six inches high, blooms in June, has only 
one leaf, bears a solitary flower and comes 
from a bulb about half an inch thick. It 
also has coral-like roots something like those 
of the putty root orchid. ‘These peculiar 
roots are supposed to be associated with a 
Fig. 9. Prattlesnake plantain (Goodyera pubescens), beloved for its mottled leaves and spikes of dainty white 
flowers. 
Showing part of a colony which is supposed to be the largest on record. 
Fig. 8. One of the four bulbous, pinKish-flowered 
species that delight in sunny sphagnum bogs. The 
grass pink (Calopogon vulcheilus). Fls. 1 in. across 
saprophytic condition and no saprophyte (a 
plant that lives on decaying vegetable matter) 
of importance except the mushroom, has 
ever been successfully cultivated. 
Arethusa is another bog-loving bulbous 
species with solitary rosy purple flowers an 
inch long and sometimes two inches. Its 
distinctive feature is its big gaping mouth. 
This species and the next are believed to be 
more nearly confined to sphagnum bogs than 
any other species. 
Everything that has been said of Arethusa 
applies to the Pogonia (P. o phioglossoides) 
except that the flower is only half an inch 
long, pale rose, and distinguished by a short 
fringed lip instead of a gaping mouth. 
The grass pink (Calopogon pulchellus) 
grows about a foot high and has several 
purplish pink flowers about an inch across. 
See Fig. 8. While it is supposed to prefer 
sphagnum bogs, it also grows wild in mea- 
dows and even in sand, and it has been 
successfully cultivated on garden soil. Never- 
theless, the safe thing is to give it wet feet 
full sun and sphagnum. 
THE LESS SHOWY ORCHIDS 
I have examined into the horticultural 
merits of all the other hardy native orchids 
and believe that they are too small and incon- 
spicuous ever to have any garden value, but 
if I am mistaken I shall be glad to be cor- 
rected. Asa matter of record I will say that 
the following species are catalogued by 
reliable nurserymen, (as are also all the spe- 
cies mentioned above); 4 plectrum hyemale, 
Goodyera Menziesii, Habenaria orbiculata, 
Liparis liliifolir, L. Loeselii, and Tipularia 
discolor. We shall be glad to hear from 
anyone who would like to take up orchid 
culture seriously. We have some notes by 
excellent observers which we shall be glad to 
turn over to someone who will carry on the 
subject. 
