Part 37

Tall bogland orchid, with fleshy roots. July 22d-August 16th.

=Flowers= white, to rose-purple. =Labellum= about ⅓-½ inch broad, divisions deeply cleft as in Habenaria lacera, yet more numerous. =Sepals= round-oval, obtuse. =Petals= cuneate-spatulate and denticulate above. Arms of column slightly acute, similar to Habenaria psycodes. =Pollen= stalked, greenish-yellow, somewhat 2-lobed, not obstructing the orifice of nectary, as observed in Habenaria lacera. =Spur= longer than ovary, clavate, much enlarged below. =Ovary= intermediate or rather short. =Stem= leafy, 1-2½ feet high. =Raceme= of flowers not as broad as in Habenaria psycodes, but more nearly resembling the spike of Habenaria lacera in form, yet fewer-flowered. =Leaves= several, as in Habenaria lacera.

Continental Range—Pownal Swamps, southwestern Vermont; no other station appears to be reported for this natural hybrid of the Purple-Fringed and Ragged Orchises (H. psycodes and H. lacera), yet it appears to be flourishing and increasing in numbers in its special haunts.

New England Range—Vermont, rare; Pownal Swamps August 5, 1901 (Marcus White and A. LeRoy Andrews); August 10-16, 1903 (Grace G. Niles).

Pogonia

Jussieu, 1789

SWEET POGONIAS

The generic name, Pogonia, comes from the Greek Πωγωνίας, signifying bearded, from the bearded labellum of the type species.

Small bogland or woodland orchids, with fibrous creeping roots. =Anther=, 1. =Labellum= erect from base of the column, spurless. =Sepals= and =petals= free. =Anther= terminal, stalked, attached to back of column. =Pollinia=, 2, 1 in each anther-sac, powdery-granular, without caudicle. =Flowers= solitary or 1-3 in terminal raceme. =Leaves= 1-5, alternating, or in whorls as in Pogonia verticillata. Seedlings numerous in many places.

Continental Range—There are about forty-five species of this genus distributed in the wooded regions of the world. The species of Pogonia have formerly been confused with Arethusa.

North American species north of Mexico 5 New England species 4 Hoosac Valley species 3-4

New England species:

1. P. ophioglossoides (Linnæus) Ker, 1753-1816. 2. P. trianthophora (Swartz) B. S. P., 1800-1888. 3. P. verticillata (Willdenow) Nuttall, 1805-1818. 4. P. affinis Austin, 1867.

1.—POGONIA OPHIOGLOSSOIDES (Linnæus) Ker, 1753-1816

ROSE POGONIA—SNAKE-MOUTH

The specific name, ophioglossoides, refers to the flower resembling a snake’s mouth.

Small sphagnous swamp-land orchid, with fibrous creeping roots. April-May (Florida), June 21st-July 20th (New England).

=Flowers= 1, sometimes 2, terminal, nodding, rather large for plants; rose and purplish-yellow; fragrant, subtended by a foliaceous bract. =Labellum= free, somewhat appressed to the column below, fringed and spurless. =Sepals= and =petals= about equal, similar. =Stem= 8-15 inches high. =Leaves= 1-3, rarely 1 basal leaf; the stem-leaf is ½-3 inches long, bluntly acute; foliaceous bract subtending seed-capsule.

Continental Range—From Newfoundland, southward to the pine barrens of Alabama and Florida; westward to Minnesota and Kansas.

New England Range—Maine, common; New Hampshire, common; Vermont, common; Massachusetts, common; Rhode Island, common; Connecticut, common.

2.—POGONIA TRIANTHOPHORA (Swartz) B. S. P., 1800-1888

NODDING POGONIA

The specific name, trianthophora, refers to the 3-lobed labellum and the usually 3 nodding flowers of this species.

Small woodland orchid, with tuberous roots. July-August 11th-September 24th.

=Flowers= 1-7 on axillary peduncles, pale purple, at first nearly erect, soon drooping, ½-⅔ inch long. =Labellum= 3-lobed, clawed, roughened, without a spur. =Sepals= and =petals= equal, connivent. Stem 3-8 inches high. =Leaves=, 2-8, alternate, ovate, clasping stem. =Seed-capsule= oval, drooping.

Continental Range—From Canada, southward to North Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky; westward to Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana.

New England Range—Maine, rare; New Hampshire, infrequent; Vermont, rare; Massachusetts, rare; Rhode Island, rare; Connecticut, infrequent.

3.—POGONIA VERTICILLATA (Willdenow) Nuttall, 1805-1818