Part 19
GREEN ADDER’S-MOUTH
The specific name, _unifolia_, one-leaved, refers, like the preceding species, to the 1 leaf.
Small damp woodland orchid, with bulbous root. May-June 26th (South)-July 25th-August 10th-September (North).
=Flowers= in club-shaped raceme 1-3 inches long, 1 inch thick; greenish, minute, ¹⁄₁₂ inch long, pedicels slender, spreading, ¼-½ inch long. =Labellum= broad, 3-toothed at apex. =Sepals= oblong. =Stem=, 4-10 inches high. =Leaf=, 1, near the middle of stem, clasping, nearly orbicular. =Seed-capsule= oval, drooping.
_Continental Range_—From Newfoundland, Ontario, southward to Florida; westward to Missouri and Minnesota. Ascends 4000 feet altitude in North Carolina.
_New England Range_—Maine, frequent; New Hampshire, frequent; Vermont, Pownal (Grace G. Niles), rare; Massachusetts, Mount Greylock pasture, North Adams (Marcus White), rare; Rhode Island, rare; Connecticut, rare.
X
Leptorchis
Thouars, 1808
(_Liparis_ Richard, 1818)
LILY-LEAVED TWAYBLADE
The generic name, _Leptorchis_, comes from the Greek, referring to a slender orchid. The former name, _Liparis_, referred to the smooth and shining leaves of these plants.
Small low orchids with bulbous roots. =Anther=, 1. =Labellum= nearly flat, often bearing 2 tubercles above the base. =Sepals= and =petals= spreading, petals usually narrow. =Flowers= in a terminal raceme, numerous and showy. =Pollinia=, 4, 2 in each anther-sac, smooth and waxy, slightly united, without stalks or glands. =Stem= or =scape=, 2-10 inches high. =Leaves=, 2, basal, broad, oval and shining, with several sheathing scales at base. Two or three seasons bulbs adhere to the latest bulb, and in time wither away. =Seed-capsule= long, erect, club-shaped.
_Continental Range_—In moist woodlands and along springy roadside banks. From Canada, New England southward to Georgia; westward to Iowa, Minnesota, and Washington. There are about 100 species of this genus, distributed in the temperate and tropical regions of the world.
North American species north of Mexico 2 New England species 2 Hoosac Valley species 2
New England species:
1. _L. liliifolia_ (Linnæus) Kuntze, 1753-1891. 2. _L. Loeselii_ (Linnæus) MacMillan, 1753-1892.
1.—LEPTORCHIS LILIIFOLIA (Linnæus) Kuntze, 1753-1891
LARGE LILY-LEAVED TWAYBLADE
The specific name, _liliifolia_, refers to the lily-leaves of this species.
Small, moist woodland orchid, with bulbous onion-like roots, more or less exposed. May 17th-June 1st-July 16th.
=Flowers= purplish-green in loose terminal raceme, many-flowered, and showy. =Labellum= purple, wedge-obovate. =Sepals= and =petals= narrow and reflexed. =Stem= or =scape=, 4-10 inches high. =Leaves=, 2, basal, oval, 2-5 inches long, smooth shining emerald-green. =Seed-capsule= club-shaped, erect.
_Continental Range_—From Maine southward to Georgia and Alabama; westward to Minnesota.
_New England Range_—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, infrequent; Vermont, infrequent; Massachusetts, infrequent; Rhode Island, rare; Connecticut, frequent.
2.—LEPTORCHIS LOESELII (Linnæus) MacMillan, 1753-1892
LOESEL’S GREEN TWAYBLADE—FEN-ORCHIS
The specific name, _Loeselii_, refers to the dedication of this species in honor of the botanist Loesel.
Small damp thicket or dry sandy roadside orchid, with onion-like bulbous roots; old bulbs adhering to latest bulb, somewhat exposed. May 30th-June 25th-July 27th.
=Flowers= greenish, minute ⅙-¼ inch long, in a few-flowered raceme, smaller than preceding species, _L. liliifolia_; one of the smallest native orchids. =Labellum= pointed, obovate, apex incurved. =Sepals= narrow, lanceolate. =Petals= reflexed, linear. =Stem= or =scape= 2-8 inches high, 5-7 ribbed. =Leaves= 2, basal, 2-6 inches long, stiff, strongly veined, resembling Plantain leaves. =Seed-capsules= erect, wide-angled.
_Continental Range_—From Nova Scotia southward to Maryland, Kentucky; westward, to Minnesota and Washington.
_New England Range_—Maine, common; New Hampshire, frequent; Vermont, common; Massachusetts, infrequent; Rhode Island, not reported; Connecticut, rare.
XI
Calypso[84]
Salisbury, 1807
BEAUTIFUL CALYPSO—NORTHERN CALYPSO
The generic name, _Calypso_, refers to the dedication of this genus to the Goddess Calypso. Its Greek signification is not only, as Salisbury wrote, to “cover and conceal” the stigma of the species, but also to preserve a poetical analogy between this botanical goddess, so difficult of access, and the secluded Goddess of Silence, whose Isle of Ogygia was fabled to be miraculously protected from observation by navigators.[85]
Small bogland orchid with solid bulbous and coralloid roots. =Anther= 1. =Labellum= shoe-shaped, saccate, 2-parted at the apex. =Sepals= and =petals= free, similar in texture. =Flowers= 1, large, terminal pendulous, bracted, resembling a Lady’s Slipper (_Cypripedium_). Linnæus wrongly designated this species _Cypripedium bulbosum_ in 1753. =Stem= or =scape= 3-6 inches high. =Leaf= 1, hyemal, appearing as an autumnal leaf about September 2d,[86] sheathed above by 2-3 scales. =Anther= lid-like below the summit of column. =Pollinia= 2, 2-parted, without caudicles, waxy, sessile, on a thick gland. =Seed-capsule= about ½ inch long, many-nerved.
_Continental Range_—From Alaska, Labrador, southward, to Middlebury, Vermont, and doubtfully reported for Pelham, Massachusetts; westward to California and New Mexico. First collected in the United States in the State of Vermont, at Charleston and Morgan by the botanist Carey, who resided at Bellows Falls in 1831-1833. A monotypic species ranging in cooler portions of north temperate zone, in Europe, Asia, and North America, assuming slight varietal changes in different regions.
North American species 1 New England species 1 Hoosac Valley species 0
New England species:
1. _C. bulbosa_ (Linnæus) Oakes, 1753-1842.
1.—CALYPSO BULBOSA (Linnæus) Oakes, 1753-1842[87]
BEAUTIFUL CALYPSO—NORTHERN CALYPSO
The specific name, _bulbosa_, refers to the bulbous root of this species, which was originally confounded by Linnæus in 1753 as a bulbous _Cypripedium_, and later placed under its generic designation _Calypso_ by Salisbury in 1807.
Small sphagnous bogland or _conifer_ woodland orchid, with bulbous and coralloid roots. April 19th-May 3d-June 15th-July 12th.
=Flowers= terminal, variegated with purple-pink, yellow, or white; shoe-shaped or saccate, resembling a Lady’s Slipper, with which genus it was confused by Linnæus in 1753. =Labellum= large, saccate or shoe-shaped pink-purple, 2-parted at apex, with patch of yellow (or white) woolly hairs near the point of division, spreading. =Sepals= and =petals= free, similar in texture. =Stem= or =scape= 3-6 inches high. =Leaf= 1, autumnal, appearing about September 2d, hyemal, basal, sheathed above by 2-3 scales. =Seed-capsule= ½ inch long, many-nerved.
_Continental Range_—From Sitka, Alaska, Labrador, southward to Middlebury, Vermont, and possibly as far south as Pelham, Massachusetts; westward to Humboldt Bay, mouth of Russian River, California, and northeastern New Mexico.
First collected in the United States in Vermont by the botanist Carey in 1831-1833. The Rocky Mountain _Calypso_ appears to be distinguished from the eastern _Calypso_ by producing a beard of white instead of yellow hairs at the point of division of the labellum. This varietal form is designated _Calypso occidentalis_ (Holzinger) Heller.
Robert Brown, as early as 1813, attempted to establish a distinct species in the American _Calypso_, from that of the European and Asiatic forms. He designated the North American form, _Calypso Americana_. Neither Lindley nor Hooker approved of this distinction, Hooker remarking that the species even in the same country may vary in structure or colors, but not permanently enough to designate it specifically. Smith, Richard and Lindley later agreed with Dr. Hooker in “considering the American, European and Asiatic _Calypso_ the same.”
_Calypso bulbosa_ is the only species of this genus in the north temperate zone, and is nearly related to the section _Pleiones_ of genus _Cœlogyne_, meaning “two-lipped” or 2-parted at the apex of the labellum. _Cœlogyne_ is a native of Asia, and many of the closely allied _Pleiones_ are alpine-orchids, their large rose-colored or cream-colored flowers clinging to the branches of sturdy oaks at an altitude of 7500 feet in latitude 30° North. _Calypso_ also seeks the colder lands, of the _conifer_ forests of Alaska and Labrador, in latitude 54°-69° North; while in the Rocky Mountain region it is found at an elevation of 4000-5000 feet above sea level.
_New England Range_—Maine, frequent; New Hampshire, infrequent; Vermont, frequent northward; Massachusetts, doubtfully reported.
XII
Corallorhiza
R. Brown, 1813
CORAL-ROOT
The generic name, _Corallorhiza_, refers to the coral-like masses of the roots of this genus.
Scapose orchids, saprophytes or root-parasites, with large masses of coralloid branching roots. =Anther= 1. =Labellum= 1-3 ridged. =Sepals= and =petals= equal; 1-3 nerved, lateral sepals united at the base with the foot of the column, forming a short spur. =Flowers= several in a terminal raceme, purplish, yellowish and white. =Anther= terminal, operculate. =Pollinia= 4, in 2-pairs, free, soft and waxy. =Stem= or =scape= 4-20 inches high. =Leaves= all reduced to scales. =Seed-capsule= oblong, drooping when ripe.
_Continental Range_—In rich woodlands. From Alaska, southward to Florida; westward to the Pacific region. There are about 15 species of this strange genus in the north temperate zone of the world. These species are destitute of green or any distinct form of foliage; their roots are without form, assuming coral-like masses, which draw nourishment for the plants from humus—the rich decay of dead roots and trees in the soil. These plants are known as saprophytes or root parasites.
North American species north of Mexico 9 New England species 4 Hoosac Valley species 3
New England species:
1. _C. Corallorhiza_ (Linnæus) Karst, 1753-1880-1883. 2. _C. odontorhiza_ (Willdenow) Nuttall, 1805-1818. 3. _C. Wisteriana_ Conrad, 1829. 4. _C. multiflora_ Nuttall, 1823.
1.—CORALLORHIZA CORALLORHIZA (Linnæus) Karst, 1753-1880-1883
EARLY CORAL-ROOT
The specific name, _Corallorhiza_, refers to the coral-like roots of the species and genus.
Scapose rich woodland orchid, with coral-like roots. May 11th-June 28th-July 12th-August 5th (North) September-October (South). A vernal orchid, North, and an autumnal species in Georgia. The dates of flowering for the _Corallorhizas_ are variable and not standard.
=Flowers=, 3-12 in a raceme 1-3 inches long, dull purple, about ½ inch long on short, minutely bracted pedicels. =Labellum= whitish, oblong, 2-toothed, shorter than petals, spur a small protuberance adnate to the summit of ovary. =Sepals= and =petals= narrow. =Stem= or =scape=, 4-12 inches high. =Leaves= reduced to 2-5 sheathing scales. =Seed-capsule= drooping.
_Continental Range_—from Greenland, and Kotzebue Sound, Unalaska, southward throughout Canada to Georgia; westward to Washington and Oregon. Ascends 7600 feet in Yellowstone Park, where it is rather common.
_New England Range_—Maine, common; New Hampshire, frequent; Vermont, common; Massachusetts, common; Rhode Island, not reported; Connecticut, infrequent.
2.—CORALLORHIZA ODONTORHIZA (Willdenow) Nuttall, 1805-1818
SMALL-FLOWERED CORAL-ROOT—DRAGON-CLAW—LATE CORAL-ROOT—CRAWLEY-ROOT
The specific name, _odontorhiza_, comes from the Greek, _odons_, a tooth, and _rhiza_, a root, referring to the tooth-like shape of the coralloid roots.
Small slender woodland orchid, with coral-like masses of roots. February-March-May (South); July-August-September 6th-October 15th (North).
=Flowers=, 6-20, purplish, in raceme 2-4 inches long. =Labellum= oval, denticulate, narrowed at base; not notched, whitish; =spur= small, adnate to top of ovary. =Sepals= and =petals= lanceolate, marked with purple lines. =Stem= sheathed with 3-4 scales, 6-15 inches high. Confused with _C. Corallorhiza_ northward.
_Continental Range_—From Ontario, Canada; Halifax, Nova Scotia, southward to Alabama, Florida, and Texas; westward to Illinois and Indiana. Ascends 3000 feet in North Carolina.
_New England Range_—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, rare; Vermont, rare; Massachusetts, Cole’s Grove, Williamstown (Cheney), rare; Rhode Island, rare; Connecticut, frequent.
3.—CORALLORHIZA WISTERIANA Conrad, 1829[88]
WISTER’S CORAL-ROOT
The specific name, _Wisteriana_, refers to the dedication of this species in honor of the botanist Wister.
Slender woodland orchid, with coral-branching roots. March 1st, Florida (Curtiss); Alabama, February-May.
=Flowers= whitish, 6-15, in spiked raceme 2-5 inches long; pedicels, erect and slender. =Labellum= broad and oval, white, clawed, with spots of crimson; notched at apex, differing in this from _C. odontorhiza_, which is not notched at the apex, but projects acutely; =spur= a conspicuous protuberance adnate to top of the ovary. =Stem= 8-16 inches high. =Leaves= reduced to several sheathing scales. =Seed-capsule= oblong drooping, when ripe.
_Continental Range_—From Massachusetts southward to Florida and Texas; westward to Ohio, taking much the same range, and flowering at the same time as _C. odontorhiza_.
_New England Range_—Massachusetts, rare.
4.—CORALLORHIZA MULTIFLORA Nuttall, 1823
SPOTTED LARGE CORAL-ROOT
The specific name, _multiflora_, refers to the multiplying of both flowers and plants in many stations.
Tall woodland orchid, with large masses of coralloid roots. May (Canada)-June 20th-July (Maine); August 14th (Massachusetts); September 15th (Connecticut).
=Flowers=, 10-30, brownish-purple, in spiked raceme 2-8 inches long; pedicels short; flowers ½-¾ inch long. =Labellum= white, spotted with purple, oval deeply 3-lobed, central lobe broad; side lobes narrow, apex curved. Spur manifest. =Sepals= and =petals= linear-lanceolate. =Stem= 2-20 inches high, purplish. =Leaves= reduced to several appressed scales. =Seed-capsule= oblong, drooping when ripe.
_Continental Range_—From Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, southward to Florida; westward to California. Ascends 2500 feet altitude in Montana (Tweedy).
_New England Range_—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, rare; Vermont, rare; Massachusetts, frequent; Rhode Island, rare; Connecticut, frequent.
XIII
Tipularia[89]
Nuttall, 1818
CRANE-FLY ORCHIS
The generic name, _Tipularia_, refers to the flowers resembling insects of genus _Tipula_.
Slender scapose orchids, with solid bulbous roots; several bulbs, or generations connected by offsets. =Anther= 1. =Labellum= 3-lobed produced into a long spur backwardly. =Sepals= and =petals= similar, spreading. =Flowers= in a long, loose terminal raceme. =Anther= terminal, operculate, 2-celled. =Pollinia=, 4, 2 in each anther-sac, ovoid, waxy, separate, affixed to short stipe, glandular at base. =Stem= 15-20 inches high. =Leaf= 1, basal, arising in autumn, about September 14th, hyemal after the flowering-scape has perished. =Seed-capsule= ½ inch long, 6-ribbed.
_Continental Range_—From Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, Vermont, to New Jersey, Alabama, and Florida; westward to Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Rare in sandy woods. There are but two known species reported for the world, the following, and another, native of Asia, in the Himalayan region. The American species is slightly distinguished from the Asiatic form by the blunt tip of its labellum.
North American species north of Mexico 1 New England species 1 Hoosac Valley species 0
New England species:
1. _T. unifolia_ (Muhlenberg) B. S. P., 1813-1888.
1.—TIPULARIA UNIFOLIA (Muhlenberg) B. S. P., 1813-1888[90]
(_Tipularia discolor_, Nuttall, 1818)
CRANE-FLY ORCHIS
The specific name, _unifolia_, refers to the 1 leaf produced by this orchid.
Alert, small moist sandy woodland or rocky hillside orchid, with solid irregular bulb or corm-like roots. Late July-August-October.
=Flowers= green, tinged with purple, ⅓-¼ inch long, in a loose raceme, 5-10 inches long; pedicels filiform, bractless. =Labellum= 3-lobed, central lobe narrow, prolonged, dilated at apex, side-lobes short and triangular. =Spur= straight, slender, twice as long as sepals and petals, giving an insectean poise to the dull flowers. =Sepals= and =petals= narrow. =Stem= 15-20 inches high. =Leaf= 1, basal, reddish-purple, strongly veined; arising from solid bulb, about September 14th, hyemal. =Seed-capsule= ½ inch long, 6-ribbed.
_Continental Range_—From southern Vermont, New Hampshire, southward to Florida and Alabama; westward to Michigan and Indiana. More abundant South. Nowhere common.
_New England Range_—Vermont, rare; Massachusetts, rare.
XIV
Limodorum
Linnæus, 1753
(_Calopogon_ R. Brown, 1813)
GRASS-PINK—MEADOW-GIFT
The generic name, _Limodorum_, comes from the Greek, signifying a meadow-gift.
Scapose orchids with solid bulbous roots. =Anther= 1. =Labellum=, hinged, arching above, and spreading; raised on a narrow stalk, dilated at the apex, bearded on the upper side with long club-shaped hairs. =Sepals= and =petals= nearly alike, separate and spreading. =Flowers= fragrant, pink-purple, 3-15 in a loose terminal raceme, seed-capsule (ovary) straight. =Anther= terminal, operculate, and sessile. =Pollinia= 2, 1 in each anther-sac, loosely granular. =Stem= or =scape= straight, not twisting as usual in other orchids, 1-1½ foot high. =Leaf= 1, grass-like blade, appearing first season, and followed next year by scape of flowers. =Seed-capsule= erect, oblong, and straight.
_Continental Range_—From Newfoundland, Canada, southward to Florida; westward to Minnesota and Arkansas. There are 4 species of this beautiful genus endemic only to the Atlantic region.
A peculiar character of this genus lies in the ovary and stem being straight, causing thereby the labellum to arch above instead of drooping below the organs of fertilization, as instanced in _Orchis_ and _Cypripedium_. Seedlings appear numerous in many swamps.
North American species north of Mexico 4 New England species 1 Hoosac Valley species 1
New England species:
1. _L. tuberosum_ Linnæus, 1753. (_Calopogon pulchellus_ R. Brown, 1813)
1.—LIMODORUM TUBEROSUM Linnæus, 1753
(_Calopogon pulchellus_ R. Brown, 1813)
GRASS-PINK—MEADOW-GIFT
The specific name, _tuberosum_, refers to the tuberous or bulbous roots of this orchid.
Beautiful grassy sphagnous meadow orchid, with bulbous roots. May 15th-June 1st-July 20th-August 1st.
=Flowers=, 3-15 pink-purple, 1 inch long, subtended by acute bracts in spiked raceme 4-15 inches long. =Labellum= hinged, arching above, owing to ovary and stem being straight; broad, triangular at apex; bearded on the upper side with yellow, orange, and rose-colored club-shaped hairs. =Sepals= and =petals= acute, ovate-lanceolate, similar in texture and color. =Stem= or =scape= 1-1½ feet high. =Leaf= 1, linear-lanceolate, 8-12 inches long, grass-like with several scales below. =Seed-capsule= straight, erect, oblong.
_Continental Range_—From Newfoundland, Nova Scotia to the shores of Lake Huron, southward throughout New England to Florida; westward to western Texas and Minnesota.
_New England Range_—Maine, common; New Hampshire, common; Vermont, common; Massachusetts, common; Rhode Island, common; Connecticut, common.
XV
Aplectrum
Nuttall, 1818[91]
PUTTY-ROOT—ADAM-AND-EVE
The generic name, _Aplectrum_, comes from the Greek meaning without a spur.
Scapose orchids with bulb or corm-like roots. =Anther= 1. =Labellum= 3-lobed, shorter than petals. =Sepals= and =petals= about ½ inch long. =Flowers= without a spur, dull yellowish-brown in a loose raceme. =Anther= borne a little below the summit of column. =Pollinia= 4, lens-shaped. =Stem= or =scape= 1-2 feet high. =Leaf= 1, basal, arising from side of scape; several corms adhering to latest bulb; leaf develops in late autumn, about September 9th, hyemal; several sheathing scales above. =Seed-capsule= oblong, ovoid, angled.
_Continental Range_—From Ontario, southward to Georgia and Alabama; westward to Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and probably in northern California. Rather rare and local.
North American species north of Mexico 2 New England species 1 Hoosac Valley species 0
New England species:
1. _A. spicatum_ (Walter) B. S. P., 1788-1888.
1.—APLECTRUM SPICATUM (Walter) B. S. P., 1788-1888[92]
(_Aplectrum hyemale_ Nuttall, 1818)
PUTTY-ROOT—ADAM-AND-EVE[93]
The specific name, _spicatum_, refers to the flowers growing in a _spica_, or spike.
Tall, spiked damp sandy woodland or bogland orchid, with bulbous or corm-like roots. May 22d-July 1st (Northern States); April 20th-July 1st (Southern States).
=Flowers=, 1-9 dull yellowish-brown, mixed with purple, 1 inch long, short-pediceled, in a loose raceme 2-4 inches long. =Labellum= shorter than petals, 3-lobed. =Sepals= and =petals= ½ inch long, linear-lanceolate. =Stem= or =scape= 1-2 feet high, producing 3 scales above the leaf. =Leaf= 1, basal, arising at side of scape, from the latest bulb or corm; elliptic, 4-6 inches long, appearing about September 9th, hyemal—lasting through the winter.
_Continental Range_—From Ontario, southward to Georgia and Alabama; westward to Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and probably California.
This species, like those of _Corallorhiza_, is not a definite dated flowering orchid; in the Virginian ravines it blooms as early as April 20th while in Wisconsin, and Missouri it blooms as late as July 1st. The average date for New England is from May 22d-June 25th.
_New England Range_—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, rare; Vermont, rare; Massachusetts, rare; Rhode Island, not reported; Connecticut, rare.
TABLE OF MEASUREMENTS.
ENGLISH METRIC.
1½ inch (1″) = 2 millimetres (mm.). 1 inch (1′) = 2.5 centimetres (cm.). 1 foot (1°) = 3 decimetres (dm.).
FOOTNOTES
[1] Thoreau, _Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers_, p. 244.
[2] Thoreau, “Walking,” _Excursions_, p. 252.
[3] Burroughs, _A Year in the Fields_.
[4] Milton, _Comus_.
[5] Whittier, _The Mayflowers_.
[6] Thoreau, _The Maine Woods_, p. 34.
[7] L. H. Bailey, Jr., _Talks Afield_, p. 128. 1885.
[8] Thoreau, “Walking,” _Excursions_, p. 252.
[9] Henry Baldwin, _Orchids of New England_, Plate 8, 1894.
[10] Henry Baldwin, _Orchids of New England_, p. 38, 1894.
[11] Henry Baldwin’s _Orchids of New England_, p. 37, 1884.
[12] Thomas Wentworth Higginson, _The Procession of the Flowers_, p. 47.
[13] Gray, _Fertilization of Orchids, in Sill. Journ. 1862-1863_.
[14] C. A. Crandall, _Plant World_, p. 6. Jan., 1900.