The Dilemma

 

The plant shown is a musk orchid (Herminium monorchis). The “Herminium” in the scientific name comes from the Greek word hermin, meaning bedpost, due to the shape of the tuber.

The image in the comic is based on the illustration on Plate 41 of the book Die Orchidaceen Deutschlands, Deutsch-Oesterreichs und der Schweiz (1894) by Max Schulze (1841–1915). (That book is available online at BioLib.de.)