The orchids of New England. A popular monograph

Henry Baldwin

Description

1V OSC ""fW"" sBHfiT . m HI NOTE TO THE REAPCft The paper in this volume is brittle. We have mended or bound the volume using the best possible means. Nothing more can be done to improve the condition of the volume. PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE r *liiPsF $ — Fig. i. Showy Lady's Si.ii^ek. Cypripcdiur.i spectabile. TH Orchids of New England A POPULAR MONOGRAPH. HENRY BALDWIN. NEW YORK: JOHN WILEY & SONS. 1884. D.c %V?coUectLonIWce J Aocc9s.Ap, Sepals ; ; "the stigma, emit longposited on mod-S, S, Stigmas Sr, Stigma ; ified into the rostellum. sur-tubes," and these penetrating the outerA, Fertile anther of the whorl A^ A- , anthers of the ; 3"face, carry the contents of the grains thesame whorl combined with label-lower petal, forming theyoung in the ovary,"down to the seeds an-lum «,, a , rudimentary ; 2 " i-celled, whorl (fertilewhich, when mature, is a thers of the inner generallyin Cypripedium), minute3-valved pod, with innumerable clinandrum ; aforming the a , third anther of the same whorl, seeds appearing like fine sawdust." when present, forming the front of the column." The upper stigma is modified into an Or-called the 7'ostellum, which in manyextraordinary organ mature,true stigma. Whenchids presents no resemblance to a either formed viscid matter."it includes or is altogether of — INTKODUCTION.

Sujets

• Orchids
• New England

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 11
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

1V OSC
""fW""
sBHfiT
.
m
HI
NOTE TO THE REAPCft
The paper in this volume is brittle.
We have mended or bound the volume
using the best possible means.
Nothing more can be done to improve
the condition of the volume.
PLEASE HANDLE WITH CAREr *liiPsF
$
—
Fig. i. Showy Lady's Si.ii^ek.
Cypripcdiur.i spectabile.TH
Orchids of New England
A POPULAR MONOGRAPH.
HENRY BALDWIN.
NEW YORK:
JOHN WILEY & SONS.
1884.D.c
%V?coUectLonIWce J
Aocc9s.Ap<-H-^3
1884,Copyright,
BALDWIN.By HENRY
Little& Co.,Press of J. J.
Astor Place, New York.Nos. 10 to 20INTRODUCTION
The name Orchid is with most persons associated with the
heat and luxuriant of southernvegetation climates, and our
North American species are, as a rule, known only to botan-
ists. Few in number, terrestrial in their habits, often un-
obtrusive almost valueless in trade, they make ofin color,
thethemselves no claim to distinction in vast floral tribe to
which they belong ; and the rambler in wood or field is sur-
prised when that this or that flower he has brought hometold
curious plants he has admired inis related to the gorgeous and
some hot-house. When the Island of Java contains over three
hundred species of Orchids, it is confession of poverty tobut a
state that the section of the United States lying east of the
Mississippi and north of North Carolina and Tennessee pro-
duces fifty-nine species and varieties ; but when this area is
narrowed down to New England and forty-seven are found in
the catalogue of her flora, the provincial pride that devotes a
special treatise to this little group can easilybe understood.
My own acquaintance with this rural family was for years
what might be called a bowing one ; a supposed ability to call
its members by name when I saw them and an appreciation of
their outward beauty or oddity forming a superficial knowledge
with which I was quite content until I began to make a series
of sketches of my charming friends. Then, as I observed
them more closely in their homes, I realized how little one
knows about .his neighbors, after all that there
; discovered
were brothers and sisters, cousins once or twice removed and
other relatives I had never seen, and that these apparentlyUCTION.INTROD6
deserving the closestguileless folk had tastes and passions
themactually seem, now that I understand bet-study. They
human beings than forms of vegetation, and ifter, more like
wise men as to the de-believe the marvellous tales of thewe
partpendence of Orchids upon insects; that each of a flower
share in the mutual labor ; that the spots and fringes,has its
banners, strong, or subtile odors,silken curtains and waving
are not mere adornments, but necessary to the fertility of the
plant and the perpetuation of its race ; that there are changes
structure, to gain their ends, wein color and plots and devices
spin,must confess, I think, that although the Orchids do not
they toil with a wisdom and foresight that Solomon might
envied.have
It is well to enumerate at this point the leading characteris-
tics of Orchids that is, of the Orchis family, and I find that
;
many are puzzled by the interchange words. Our Orchisof
"spcctabilis is a species of the genus Orchis" but the Orchis
family has many other genera, and while is proper to call anit
Arethusa or a Lady's-Slipper an Orchid, it is not proper to call
either an Orchis, that final consonant being of decided impor-
tance in the botanist's view.
Quoting from both Gray and Darwin, let me explain that
"the flower of an Orchid has inner divisions (petals) and3
outer divisions (sepals) mostly of the same texture and petal-3
differs more or lesslike appearance. One of the inner set
isfrom the rest and is called the labellum or lip," and this
often beautifully or and whether furnishedgrotesquely shaped,
with a one, it is almostspur-like appendage or destitute of
"always most impor-a conspicuous feature. It is by far the
onlytant of the external envelopes of the flower. It not
re-secretes nectar, but is often modelled into variously shaped
ceptacles for holding fluid, or itself rendered attractivethis is
so as to be gnawed were by someby insects. Unless the flowers
means rendered cursedattractive, most of the species would be