YELLOW FRINGEORCHID 



Habenaria ciliaris (Linnaeus) Robert Brown 



Yellow fringeorchid is one of our showy representatives of the 

 Orchid Family, and its only rival in brilliance of coloration in its ac- 

 customed habitat is the cardinalflower. The accepted common name 

 is somewhat inappropriate, however, for its color is really of a de- 

 cidedly orange hue. Growing two or three feet in height, in a ferny 

 meadow or wet bog, or on the banks of a quiet stream, its bright 

 orange color beckons the long-tongued butterflies and moths to visit 

 it. In twilight it is easily seen by the large moths which hover over 

 it; these are often mistaken for humming birds through the simi- 

 larity in their manner of flight. It is a sturdy and elegant plant, and 

 to find it growing in perfect development is a joy never to be 

 forgotten. 



Yellow fringeorchid has a wide range, from Florida to Texas and 

 northward to Vermont, Ontario, and Michigan. It can be cultivated 

 only in highly acid soil. 



The sketch was made from plants gathered near Bridgeport, 

 Connecticut. 



PLATE 340 



