Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-27
THE ORCHIDS OF AMERICA.
Fantastic Flowers TO be FOunG In the
United States.

Tie name orchid suggests visions of
the fantastic flora of the tropics, or, at
least. gorgeous masses Of color in conscr-
vatories. But orchids are not confined
to torrid climes. We have some indi-
genous to our own neighborhood, of
which portion are as beautiful or as
delicate, while all are as curious. as any
found i'll foreign lands The season for
orchids is now drawing to a close but
that is only saying, i'll another form, that
autumn is at hand, for they grow through
out the greater part of the floral year.
The orchid family is a large one, and en-
braces a great variety of plants, nearly
all of which, however, have the follow
ing characteristics They are endogen-
Gus, and are parallel-veined in their
stems and foliage; they have sheathing
leaves somewhat resembling those of the
iris or the grasses they have blossoms,
each composed of six petals they have
Dubious roots. So far they are like men,
bers Of the lily family.
But while lilies have regular flowers,
orchids have irregular ones. OF the six
petals, three are usually unlike the 9TH
ers, and Of these three one is odd in form,
and is knoYn as the Clip" This odd pc
ing the corolla to assume curious ap-
bee-in short, anything but flower.
Another popularity of orchids is, the
pollen is so arranged that they cannot
fertilize themselves, but depend upon the
aid of insects, hence they never spread
much, but are always rare. Still another
peculiarity may be observed in the fact
that the flower stem is usually twisted
upon itself so that the lower edge of the
blossom is really turned upward.
In early Summer we may find the beau
tiful, SNOWY orchis, which is taken as the
type of the orchis, or orchid family. This
has two sheathing, smooth, green leaves,
somewhat like those of the lily-of- the val
ley, and its short, upright, square stem
terminates in spike of rather large, gay,
pinkish purple blossoms. In this flower
all the petals except the irregular one
unite to form little vault or hood, while
the lip is broad and spreading, tipped
with white. The various species Of the
lady's slipper or moccasin flower are con-
sidered by botanists MS among the most
magnificent plants in the world. (Be it
noted these are not related to the garden
lady's slipper, which is coarser and in.
ferior.) The yellow lady's slipper has n
tall stem, broad, tluted leaves and an ex-
quisite yellow corolla, whose lip isl large,
inflated sac, like a slipper. The purple
lady's slipper is still handsomer, but it
has smaller plant.
A dainty little orchid is the twayblade
it grows about the same height as the
snowy orchis, and its leaves and stems
are very similar, but its flower is quite
different. All of the petals are fine and
thread-like, except, of course, the lip,
which is broad and flat. The blossom is
beautifully colored rich chocolate, min.
gled with yellow, so that it looks like Il
small brown and golden butterfly.
The fringed orchis is quite remarkable
Its stem is tall, upright and leafy, and il
these particulars resemble stalk of ranb
grass. The narrow leaves are continued
all the way up to the top of the plants as
bracts, and in the axil or hollow of eacl
of these nestles pretty little flower
whose color is yellow, darkening towards
green on the outside of the blossom, anC
, Tightening towards white on the lip. Tht
petals are rather regular, beneath then
being noticeable spear, while the ode
petal is beautifully cut and subdiyidet
, into bunch of silky fringe.
, The rattlesnake plantain has small bios
SONS, not very snowy, but m elegan
leaf Its stem is rather tall in proper
ton to the blooms upon 1t, which latte
; are thickly clustered in spike. while tn
former is iointed. The little flowers ar
, pure white, slightly tipped with green
| and the lip forms n cunning little pocket
/ somewhat after that of the manner of tn
lady's slipper. The joints in the sten
3 are also tipped with green. The broad
t rroundish leaves are punched together lik
0 little mat, and their bright, emeral,
t hue is delicately veined with white, a
A though fairies had wrapped it in silver
: network of lace.
Adam and Eve is among the rarest o
the rare. No orchid could be otherwis
Q than peculiar, but this plant is so TO
more reasons than one 1t bears ON
$ leaf, bread, white-ribbed, corn-like ont
s and that late in the fall This remain