278 



ORCHJDACEiE. 



Platanthera. 



8. Platanthera psycodes, Gray. Purple Swamp Orchis. 



Stem leafy ; leaves oblong; raceme oblong, many-flowered; bracts linear-lanceolate, the 

 lower ones as long as the flowers, the upper scarcely equal to the ovary ; sepals ovate, obtuse, 

 the lateral ones deflexed ; petals fimbriate-toothed, cuneate, oblong, obtuse, incised ; lip un- 

 guiculated, roundish, flabelliform, 3-parted, the segments cuneate and incisely toothed, the 

 intermediate one larger ; spur incurved, about twice the length of the lip. — Gray, I. c. p. 310. 

 Orchis physodes, Linn. sp. 2. p. 493, not of Willd. Orchis fimbriata, Ait. Kew. (ed. 1.) 3. 

 p. 297 ; Bigel. Jl. Bost. p. 320. O. incisa, Muhl. in Willd. sp 4. p. 40, not of Pursh or 

 Nuttall. O. fissa, Muhl. in Willd. I. c. not of Pursh. Habenaria fimbriata, R. Br. in hort. 

 Kew. (ed. 2.) 5. p. 193, and H. incisa & fissa, Torr. compend. p. 319 ; Spreng. syst. 3. 

 p. 692; Beck, hot. p. 349. H. racemosa, Raf. aim. of not. 1820, p. 15. Platanthera fim- 

 briata, Lindl. Orchid, p. 293 ; Hook. Jl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 200. 



var. grandifiora : flowers larger : segments of the lip (particularly the lateral ones) fim- 

 briate, with capillary segments {Gray, I. c). Orchis fimbriata, Willd. I. c. O. grandifiora, 

 Bigel. jl. Bost. p. 321. Habenaria grandifiora, Torr. compend. p. 319 ; Beck, hot. p. 349 ; 

 Darlingt. Jl. Cest. p. 509. 



Root fasciculate. Stem 1 \ - 3 feet high, stout, angular. Leaves 3-8 inches long and 

 1-3 inches wide, the lower ones often obtuse. Flowers bright purple, in a spike which is 

 from 2-6 inches long and often compact ; those of the var. considerably larger than the 

 ordinary form. Upper sepal broadly ovate ; lower ones broader. Petals longer than the 

 sepals, moderately cut-toothed. Lip large, 3-parted to the base ; the segments dilated at the 

 apex, and cut into numerous short lobes. Spur filiform-clavate, longer than the ovary, which 

 is attenuated at the base into a pedicel. Cells of the anther rather distant. 



Wet meadows and borders of streams, particularly in mountainous districts. Fl. July - 

 August. A beautiful but somewhat variable species, the synonomy of which was in great 

 confusion till Dr. Gray published his valuable paper on some North American Orchtdace^e, 

 in Silliman's Journal. 



9. Platanthera lacera, Gray. Ragged Orchis. 



Stem leafy ; raceme loose, many-flowered, with the bracts shorter than the flowers ; sepals 

 ovate ; petals oblong-linear, obtuse, entire ; lip unguiculated, slender, 3-parted, the lobes cut 

 into capillary segments ; spur filiform-clavate, rather longer than the sessile ovary. — Gray, 

 I. c. p. 311. Orchis psycodes, Muhl. in Willd. sp. 4. p. 39, not of Linn. ; Pursh, Jl. 2. 

 p. 585 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 319. O. lacera, Michx. fl. 2. p. 156 ; Pursh, I. c. ; Ell. sk. 2. 

 p. 484. Habenaria psycodes, Torr. compend. p. 317 ; Spi'eng. syst. 3. p. 693 (and H. 

 lacera oj the same author) ; Beck, hot. p. 349 ; Darlingt. Jl. Cest. p. 509. H. lacera, R. 

 Br. I. c. p. 193. Platanthera psycodes, Lindl. Orchid, p. 294 ; Hook. Jl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 20. 

 Audubon's birds, t. 164. 



Root fasciculate. Stem 1 i - 2\ feet high, rather slender, sparingly clothed with leaves, 



