Platanthera. 



ORCHIDACEtE. 



277 



tt Lip incised. 



6. Platanthera blephariglottis, Lindl. Fringed White Orchis. 



Stem leafy, the leaves lanceolate and acute ; spike oblong, dense, many -flowered, with 

 lanceolate bracts which are shorter than the ovary ; sepals roundish oblong, the lateral ones 

 reflexed ; petals spatulate, slightly incised at the summit ; lip oblong, flat, fimbriate, about 

 one-third as long as the spur ; ovary with a very long beak. — Lindl. Orchid, p. 199 ; Hook, 

 fl. Bor. Am. 2. p. 199. Orchis blephariglottis, Willd. sp. 4. p. 9 ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 585 ; 

 Ell. sk. 2. p. 483; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 318. O. ciliaris, var. alba, Michx.fi. 2. p. 156. 

 Habenaria blephariglottis, Torr. compend. p. 317 ; Beck, hot. p. 348. 



var. holopetala : petals entire. Platanthera holopetala, Lindl. 1. c. Habenaria blephari- 

 glottis, Hook. exot. hot. t. 87. 



Root fasciculate. Stem li - 2 feet high. Lower leaves 6-8 inches long and 1 — 1J 

 inch wide, the upper ones gradually smaller. Spike 2-4 inches long. Bracts lanceolate, 

 leafy. Flowers pure white. Sepals about 3j lines long. Petals very small, a little incised 

 or slightly ciliate at the summit (in var. holopetala entire). Lip about one third of an inch 

 long, beautifully cut and fringed ; the little segments capillary. Spur nearly an inch long, 

 somewhat incurved, particularly towards the extremity. Tail of the pollen-masses very long 

 and slender : gland small. Capsule tapering above into a long slender beak. 



Swamps : not common. Fl. July. One of the most beautiful North American plants of 

 this tribe. I entirely agree with Sir William Hooker in considering the P. holopetala of 

 Lindley as only a variety of this species, which again scarcely differs from the following, 

 except in the white flowers. Lindley has even a white variety of P. ciliaris ! 



7. Platanthera ciliaris, Lindl. Fringed Yellow Orchis. 



Stem leafy ; leaves lanceolate and acute ; spike oblong, dense, many-flowered, the lan- 

 ceolate bracts shorter than the ovary ; sepals roundish-ovate, the lateral ones reflexed ; petals 

 linear, incised ; lip oblong, deeply and finely cut and fringed, about one third as long as the 

 spur; ovary with a long beak. — Lindl. Orchid, p. 292; Hook.fi. Bor. -Am. 2. p. 199. 

 Orchis ciliaris, Linn. sp. 2. p. 939 ; Michx. fl. 2. p. 156 (var. lutea) ; Pursh, fl. 2. p. 585 ; 

 Bot. mag. t. 1668 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 483 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 319. Habenaria ciliaris, R. Br. 

 in hort. Kew (ed. 2.) 5. p. 192 ; Torr. compend. p. 317 ; Beck, bot. p. 348 ; Gray, I. c. p. 230. 



Root, stem, leaves and spike as in the preceding. Flowers bright orange-yellow. Petals 

 distinctly incised. Lip larger and more conspicuously ciliate than in P. blephariglottis . 



Open swamps : not rare. Fl. July. A very ornamental plant. 



