THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
29 
none of which are worse than the weeds more common, it 
has proven that white clover can stand the conditions 
which prevail during a trip from distant pastures on a 
crowded cattle-car, either on the floor, or in the digestive 
tracts of the inmates; can be dumped on a refuse pile in 
the Chicago stock^^ards, reloaded and shipped back part 
way over its old route, spread out on the ground in th? 
bleakest month of the vear, and still retain sufficient 
vitality to appear as the most prominent covering of this 
desolated spot of ground, and hold out to the future a 
hope for the sweetest honey that bees can make. 
Joliet, 111. 
THE GREENISH-FRINGED REIN ORCHIS. ■ 
BY WALTER ALBION SQUIRES. 
JV/l OST of our native orchids are at home on\y in the 
^ ^ peaty loam of sphagnum bogs or the deep shade of 
mossy woods. The greenish-fringed rein orchis {Haben- 
aria kucoph^ea) is a child oi the prairies. With the 
possible exception of certain species of Spiranthes it is to 
be found farther out upon the plains than any othei; 
rhember of this interesting family of flowering plants. 1, 
have found it growing almost hidden in the rank grass of 
low moist meadows in central Kansas. In the eastern, 
part of the state it is found quite abundantly, but here 
seems to prefer upland meadows. 
Rising from the ground with a stout erect stem often 
three feet in height, its petals of a modest greenish yellow, 
it cannot compare inbeaut\^and grace with the Pogonias, 
Calopogons and Cypripediams. It is, however, a hand- 
some plant and in its structural adaptations to insect 
cross-fertilization one of the most interesting and wonder- 
ful plants to be found in any country. I shall never forget 
the day, many years ago, when in examining the flower 
of this plant for the first time, I placed the point of a 
small wire nail in the open throat of the flower. I had 
not then read Darwin's book on the fertilization of 
orchids and was taken entirely by surprise to find that 
