She sped as Petals of a Rose 1
Offended by the Wind－
A frail Aristocrat of Time
Indemnity to find－
Leaving on nature－a Default 5
As Cricket or as Bee－
But Andes in the Bosoms where
She had begun to lie－
Offended by the Wind－
A frail Aristocrat of Time
Indemnity to find－
Leaving on nature－a Default 5
As Cricket or as Bee－
But Andes in the Bosoms where
She had begun to lie－
(F.897/J.991)
[1] She:: an orchid.
[2] Offended, Wind:: orchid is more fragile than other flowers.
[3] Aristocrat:: reputation of the orchid.
[4] Indemnity:: cultivated in an orchid-house, and freed to the wild (Andes).
[6] Bee:: a bee-orchid, with flower like a female bee to attract the male.
[7, 8] Andes, begun to lie:: orchids growing well in the Andes.
The orchids must keep their aristocratic position, and preserve their reputation as high-born beauties which, as is the case in human affairs, are ever to be surrounded with crowds of hopeless, and un-hoping admirers. ─ The Living Age (1849)
The 28 orchids gathered in flower are, perhaps, scarcely a third of the whole number observed. On the slopes of the Andes some orchid or other is in flower all through the year, and almost every species has its distinct epoch for flowering. In the Andes, epiphytal orchids accompany trees almost to the upper limit of the growth of the latter, and some species are therefore often exposed to positive frost. ─ Report on the Expedition to Procure Seeds and Plants of the Cinchona Succirubra (1861)