20 
THE ORCHIDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 
find little green cornucopias pushing their way up here and 
there, from a cleft and fleshy root, each composed of two thick 
leaves unlike anything else in character, and with a non-com- 
mittal air about them, certain to spread generously apart 
(From Darwin.) 
Fic. 4—ORcHIS MASCULA. 
a. anther. m. nectary. 
ry. rostellum, p. pollinium, or pollen-mass. 
s. stigma. c. caudicle of pollinium. 
Z. labellum, d. viscid disc of pollinium. 
A. Side view of flower, all the petals and sepals 
removed, except the labellum, of which the near half 
is cut away, as well as the upper portion of the near 
side of the nectary. 
B. Front view of flower, sepals and petals removed, 
except the labellum. 
C. One pollinium, or pollen-mass, showing the pack- 
ets of pollen-grains, the caudicle, and the viscid disc. 
D. Front view of the caudicles of both pollinia with 
the discs lying within the rostellum, its lip being de- 
pressed. . 
E. Section through one side of the rostellum, with 
the included disc and caudicle of one pollinium, lip 
not depressed. | 
F. Packets of pollen-grains, tied together by elas- 
tic threads, here extended. (Copied from Bauer.) 
towards the end of the 
month, and offer their treas- 
ure: a low stalk, or scape of 
pinkish-purple and white 
flowers. This is Orchis spect- 
abilis, the Gay, Showy, or 
Spring Orchis,; called, in the 
Middle States, “‘ Preacher in 
the Pulpit,” the anther-cells 
under the canopied sepals 
and petals probably suggest- 
ing two clergymen overshad- 
owed by a sounding- board, 
the rostellum representing 
their pulpit. Glad as lam to 
see its little nosegays dot- 
ting the woods, I take small 
pleasure in gathering the 
plant, which is too short 
to be grouped with trilliums 
and bellworts, too coarse to 
go with mitellas and vio- 
lets ; but when analysis is un- 
dertaken, sentiment quickly 
gives way, and I am willing- 
ly compelled to hold the 
Showy Orchis high 
honor. 
in 
Orchis spectabilis agrees pretty closely with the British 
Orchis mascula, and I use Darwin’s account of the manner 
