ORCHIS FAMILY 
( Orchiclacece) 
This is a large family composed of herbaceous peren¬ 
nials with tuberoid roots or conns. The perianth is 
composed of six divisions, the three outer being sepals 
(two of which are often united) and the three inner 
ones petals, the lower one of which, termed the lip, 
differs in form from the others. 
Yellow Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) 
has usually one, but sometimes three flowers at the 
summit of a leafy stem 7 to 20 in. high. The inflated 
lip is bright yellow, slipper-sbaped and with a rounded 
open orifice near the base. The two lateral petals are 
brownish; exceedingly twisted. The broad, bright green 
leaves are very prominently ribbed lengthwise, pointed 
and alternately sheathing the stem. This is one of the 
northerly species, being found along the northern bor¬ 
der of the United States and southern Canada. It 
grows in colonies and flowers from May to July, in 
rich woods or bogs. 
4-f* 
