93 
BOTANICAL, INDEX. 
found growing wild. If we choose palms, tropical fruits, tropical orchids, etc., we 
must go to the tropics to find them in all their native; luxuriance; hut if we will con- 
tent ourselves with such as are adapted to our latitude and are within our immediate 
reach, we need only take an occasional excursion to some of our forests, swamps, 
prairies, etc., and there find many a lovely and often strange form of some of our 
native plants that will wonderfully repay the trouble; of cultivation, > 
especially if we choose the bulbous or tuberous rooted plants; for it 
must be borne in mind that nearly all our magnificent flowering 
hardy plants were originally only common, unpretentious, and 
often insignificant, previous to .their present high state of cultivation. 
Among the number especially attractive in early Spring is the 
pretty little “ Painted Cup,” Castilleja Coccinea — Fig. 63, July 
of Index — varying in color from yellow to dark orange and often J 
-- - -- - 
scarlet. Also, the lovely blue-eyed grass, Sisyrinchium Iiermudiana , y - 
Figs. 56 and 57, with its many varying forms, two of which have . 
been named: variety Anceps and variety Mucronatum. These make ~ - r 
an excellent border plant, flowering from the last of May until ’ 
August, growing in clumps or tufts of from a few grass-like stocks v. ' . 5 
(culms) to bunches of one foot in diameter, which, under cultiva- > *5 
tion, increase in beauty and luxuriance. But for a cool, moist place 
under the trees, where no other variety of plants seem to thrive, we . 4 ’v' 
find nothing more at home than a selection of our native Orchids. 
First and commonest is the Lady Slipper, Cypripedium, spectaoile, and 
C. parviflorum, while some of the four other native species can be 
added to the collection by a little careful botanizing. The grass 
pink, Calopogon pulchellus, with its large, fragrant, pink flowers, 
produced in July, should be planted near together, as they occupy fig. 55. 
so little room and make the most showy beds of all the native 
Orchids. The fragrant white-fringed Orchis, Habenaria blephariglottis, and the ragged 
white-fringed Orchis, if. lacera, also very fragrant, and blooming in July, are two 
of the strangest of flowers, being pure white, in a large spike of from ten to fifteen 
flowers and about 14 inches high. But the yellow-fringed Orchis, Habenaria c iliaris, 
in our experience is far the most 
profuse bloomer, and having more 
foliage than most of the other 
Orchids, makes rather more show. 
The flower-spike is oblong like the 
head of the Hyacinth in outline, 
and the flowers are rather closely 
set; of a bright orange-yellow, 
conspicuously fringed, usually 
growing about 15 inches high, and 
blooming in July and August. 
Prof. Gray says, “Our handsomest 
species,” and he certainly knows. 
But as there are over fifty species 
of native Orchids, hardy north of 
40“ latitude, the space allowed for 
this article will not admit of a 
reference to all the species ; suffice 
it to say, no one will tire of col- 
lecting and cultivating species and 
varieties of this strange family of 
plants, after once becoming inter- 
ested in their culture. All the 
varieties grow in a moist (usually 
wet) peaty ground, often in the 
shade of trees or bushes, and are 
Fig. sc. Fig. 57 . more or less abundant throughout 
all the Northern States, and can be obtained in almost any quantity. But as they are 
usually an almost leafless plant, they are not easily identified except while in bloom, 
for which reason it is advisable to take them up with a quantity of soil attached to 
the roots undisturbed, to prevent their wilting. By this means we find no difficulty 
in removing them during July and August, and would recommend that time as a 
proper one, if they can be replanted within the next day or two. 
There is still a long list of choice flowering native plants that would well repay 
the trouble of cultivation, and are really desirable; indeed, no one need fear wasting 
their time devoted to collecting and cultivating a large number of our native plants. 
Especially would we recommend Columbine, Phlox, Pentstemon, Blazing Star, Blue 
