Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-03
MAINE WOODS FURNISH
MANY RARE FLOWERS
Frank C. Merritt Describes Beautiful
Blooms, Principally Orchids,
Found This Summer.

| In a letter to Walter ". Paige. voic-
ing his delight at the letter printed in
The Star recently in which Justice Bar
| nard told of flowers in the Maine
woods, Frank c. Merit. one of Wash
ington's leading wanderlusters, tells OF
other flowers. particularly orchids
| found in the neighborhood of Dover
Me.
| Mr. Merritt's letter is as follows:
Il was much interested in reading a
recent article in the columns of The
Star, entitled Justice Barnard Tells OF
! Flowers in Maine. The good justice
| is evidently a lover of wild flowers
judging by his very entertaining letter
| of description of the wild flowers he
found along the shores of Kezar pond
| and he can feel assured that he has
many friends in Maine as well as
| Washington who like to read about
the wild flowers that grow down east.
Il would like to add a few words de-
scrlptlve of some of the flowers which
he has not mentioned. many of which
he doubtless has found since his letter
was written | am writing more par
ticularly of some of the native orchids
found in the neisnborhood of Dover,
some of which have been able to send
to friends in Washington who do not
have the opportunity of seeing these
rare and beautiful denizens of the
swamp in their native haunts.
No Plants More Interesting.
There is no group of plants more
interesting and about which more has
been written than the orchids They
are interesting on account of their re-
Tarka BILE structure and habits a. we'll
is their wide range.
The first species of orchid found this
summer was the Calypso borealis,
which l found in a dry woods near the
town. AS this appeared before many
other flowers We're out in that locality
IT was very easy to see these blossoms,
as there was nothing to detract from
their appearance, such as ferns. grasses,
etc. When l found this dainty little
orchid lifting its head from its brown
messy bed it seemed as though l had
found a sparkling jewel in the dead
leaves and moss. Its blossoms resem-
has sac-shaped lip heavily blotched
with brownish- yellow patches with
yellow hairs near the end, and DR..
Gray aptly terms it "a very rare and
beautiful plant
Within a short distance of where
discovery the colony of Calypso borealis
/ found a week or two later some of
the coral root orchid The most inter-
esting thing about this rather insignifi-
can't plant is the fact that its roots are
kinds of coral, hence its name.
Another small orchid l was fortunate
to find in this neighborhood was the
rattlesnake plantain. it's leaves having a
certain notified appearance like the skin
of a snake. l have found this growing
in profusion in Rock Creek Park.
Seem to Simulate Animals.
To illustrate how some orchids seem
to simulate animals. l found a large
specimen of Orchis hookeri about the
1st of July. and the flowers clustered
about the long, loose spike very much
resembled monkeys climbing a tree. and
the long, curved spur reaching down
back of the petals looked like the long
most remarkabl resemblance to an ami
NAL of any of the wild plants that
have studied
The grass pink is now in full bloom
In the Swamps about Dover and Sanger
Vile. Last week I found them growing
in considerable number, while here and
there ! discovered an occasional speci-
men of the beautiful rose pogonia
was also fortunate in finding a late
specimen of the arethusa, and when
had brought all three of these orchids
together it was remarkable what a
similarity of color there was The
magenta color is predominant in the
blossoms. The beauty of these orchids
lies in their fringed lips. The grass
pink bears the name of calopogon, which
means beautiful beard
Perhaps the most striking of all the
orchids 1 have found this year is the
Cypripedium family, or lady slipper
Four kinds have been found about Dover,
two yellow and two pink and white The
smaller of the pink variety is the moe
casin' flower. and this also grows
abundant near Washington. The large
pink and white slipper is the most
gorgeous of all the orchids. l have found
many specimens Of this &C. spectabile)
with double flowers, and they are such
Snowy plants that many of the merchants
in town have gathered punches and placed
them in their store windows for display
Some years, they tell me. they gather
them in sufficient quantities to use for
the graduating bouquet by the high
school. One merchant had a very pretty
vase of these. and the blossoms of the
pitcher plant together, and they lasted
more than two weeks before whitening
measured a very thrifty plant of the
pink slipper a few days ago. and it was
thirty-one inches from the beginning of
the roots to the tip Of the leaf above the
double rose-colored blossoms. DR. Gray
calls this the most beautiful of the
genus.
Sweetest of Orchid Family.
Early last week l was handed a speci-
men of one of the most beautiful of the
spiked orchids. Orchis dilatata This