2003 Compilation North American Native Orchid Journal

8/8/2019 2003 Compilation North American Native Orchid Journal

1/48

NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHID JOURNAL

Volume 9 2003

IN THIS ISSUE: THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADAORCHID MEMORIES: THE PAINTINGS OF STAN FOLSOMUNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII and more..


2/48

2

The North American Native Orchid Journal (ISSN 1084-7332) is an annualpublication devoted to promoting interest and knowledge of the native orchidsof North America. A limited number of the print version of each issue of the

Journal are available upon request and electronic versions are available to allinterested persons or institutions free of charge. The Journal welcomes article of any nature that deal with native or introduced orchids that are found growing

wild in North America, primarily north of Mexico, although articles of generalinterest concerning Mexican species will welcome.

Requests for either print or electronic copies should be sent to the editor:Paul Martin Brown, 10896 SW 90th Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 or via email [email protected].


3/48

NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHID JOURNAL

Volume 9 2003

CONTENTS NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

2 THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

Carole Siegel 3

ORCHID MEMORIES: THE PAINTINGS OF STAN FOLSOM

Stan Folsom 22

NEW TAXA Paul Martin Brown

33 TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS

Paul Martin Brown & Scott Stewart 36

UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII Paul Martin Brown

36ORCHID EXPLORATION FOR THE OLDER ENTHUSIASTThe Slow Empiricist

40NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHIDS BOOKS IN PROGRESS

a news report 43

AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND AN ORCHID TREASURECarol Siegel

44


4/48

2

Unless otherwise credited, all drawings in this issue are by Stan Folsom The opinions expressed in the Journal are those of the authors. Scientific articles may be

subject to peer review and popular articles will be examined for both accuracy and scientificcontent.

Volume 9 pages 1-46; issued November 1, 2003.Copyright 2003 by the North American Native Orchid Alliance, Inc .

Cover: Spiranthes infernalis by Stan Folsom


5/48

3

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

This is the first annual issue in the new full-size format. It will makeboth the composition and assembly of the publication much easier. Because weare now an annual publication news of the past year is included.

Conferences are now being organized by the Native Orchid Conference,Inc. Although in no way affiliated with the North American Native Orchid

Alliance, these conferences are supported by the Alliance and allmembers/readers are encouraged to support them. The Native OrchidConference also maintains a discussion group via email. For more informationabout their conferences and the email group see their website at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nativeorchidconference/.


6/48

Siegel : THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

4

THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

Carol Siegel

Pity poor Hawaii Contrary to its lush image as the Orchid Capital of the world, Hawaii has only three native orchids. Nevada, on the other hand, with its

sizzling, dry deserts and freezing, snowy mountains, the last place associated withorchids, boasts no fewer than TWELVE native orchids, two of which occur in twodistinct varieties. Stand aside, Hawaii, as we strut our stuff.

Its not easy to be an orchid in Nevada, yet our resilient and resourceful nativeorchids have learned to make a living in any little microclimate that boasts a little

water and a little shade. Professor Wes Niles, curator of the Herbarium at UNLV,relates that under a dripping fountain outside the Chemistry Building, clumps of Epipactis gigantea started to grow, its seeds carried on the wind. In the drainage of auniversity swimming pool, additional stands grew and flowered just a couple of milesfrom the Strip.

In the steaming desert of Las Vegas in Clark County, where temperatures canrange from nine degrees to one hundred and nineteen degrees, three orchids arefound: Epipactis gigantea in many places in Red Rock Recreational Area and elsewhere,Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys in Kyle Canyon, and our common species Platanthera sparsiflora , in several locations in the Spring Mountains including Kyle and LeeCanyons. In Southern Nevada, including Clark, Nye and Lincoln counties, these andan additional four native orchids are found, Corallorhiza maculata , Spiranthes diluvialis ,

Spiranthes infernalis , and Spiranthes romanzoffiana,an amazing seven native orchids. In all,Nevada has these seven, and also Corallorhiza striata, Listera cordata, Spiranthes porrifolia,Piperia unalascensis , and the variety Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora,and Platanthera stricta ,twelve in all. All our orchids are terrestrial, that is, they grow in the ground ratherthan clinging to the bark of a tree.


7/48


5

An orchid was considered to be in Nevada if it was listed in herbariums (dried plantand information repositories) at UNLV and UNR or if it was listed as being an orchidfrom Nevada in the Flora Of North America Volume 26 2002, Luers Native Orchids Of The United States And Canada , Corrells Native Orchids Of North America , and Brown &Folsom The Wild Orchids Of North America, North Of Mexico. There may be otherorchids in other counties, but we thought that this was a reliable start to cataloguing the orchids of Nevada.

CORALLORHIZA MACULATA Leafless, flowers heavily-spotted, devoid of green, this odd

orchid gets its nourishment solely by being parasitic on its fungushosts. This is one of those orchids that do not look like mostpeoples idea of an orchid. Known as the spotted coral root , itsfungus-infected roots have a knobby appearance like pieces of

branched coral, and its three-lobed white lip, and often its sepals,petals and column, are dotted with reddish to purplish spots. Itmooches off other living things its whole life. It is known asmycotrophic plant because it relies on a special relationship

with mycorrhizal fungus for its food. All orchids start their livesdependent on fungus for food because orchid seeds have noendosperm or food tissue for their growing embryos. The littleseed must land on the fungus that serves as its nanny providing food. As most orchids grow, they develop leaves and becomeself-supporting. Corallorhiza maculata , however, is like a teen-ager

who never leaves home. It continues to feed off its fungus forfood throughout its whole life. Without photosynthesis, it has noneed for leaves or chlorophyll, and the leaves are reduced to tiny sheaths on the flower stem. The plants are devoid of green and

exhibit, instead, gay and attractive shades of brown, red and yellow. The strangely-shaped plants are just rhizome, stem and flowers, and appear above the ground tobloom. The plant grows usually in dry, open forest between 6900 and 10,000 feet inthe decaying leaf litter although they tolerate some moist environments, too. Becauseof their delicate relationship with their fungus, transplanting them from the wild is outof the question, even if it were legal.

This orchid is a favorite in folk medicine, used to break fevers by causing sweating. The Paiute and Shoshone Indians of Nevada made a tea to build up theblood in pneumonia sufferers.


8/48


6

CORALLORHIZA STRIATA var. STRIATA and var. VREELANDII Corallorhiza striata , with its riot of stripes, is easy to tell from all

other coralroots. About 16 inches tall, C. striata bears more than 45heavily-striped flowers on leafless stems, each flower little more than inch across. Like all coralroots, it never produces its own food. Aparasitic wasp pollinates this most striking and largest-floweredcoralroot.

Different color forms of Corallorhiza striata have been givenforma names. In Nevada, the varieties vreelandii and striata have beennoted by the Flora Of North America . Variety striata is larger, brown toreddish-brown with sepals and petals that have three to five reddish-to-brown veins and lips over 7 mm. Variety vreelandii , with a light tan toyellowish base color and dull-brown stripes, is slightly smaller and lessbright than var. striata . Blooming season is from May to July, and

individual plants do not bloom every year. In a study lasting 29 yearson a single colony, the number of blooming plants varied from 0-155.Four years, there were NO plants at all.

EPIPACTIS GIGANTEA In May of 2000, over fifty of our orchid-loving

club adventurers hiked into the hills of Red Springs inthe Red Rock Recreation Area to see our native orchid,Epipactis gigantea , with Dr. Patrick Leary, Chairman of

Biology at CCSN. As we hung over the side of the cliff, we had the thrill of seeing dozens of these orchids, lipsquivering in the breeze, for the very first time. In theshade of the sandstone cliff, a spring wetting the earth,this little orchid had found a tiny, hospitablemicroclimate in which to flourish in the desert.

Epipactis gigantea , is sometimes known as thestream orchid because it loves to grow in wet placesfrom sea level to 7500 feet, where it is found in bogs,hot springs, road cuts and wet cliff faces. How strangeto find it in the Mojave Desert with only 2-4 inches of rain a year! It is the most common native orchid inCalifornia and occurs all over Las Vegas where there is a

little waterFirst Creek, La Madre Spring, Ash Spring, Pine Creek, Icebox Canyon,Spring Mountain Ranch, Sandstone Spring, and Blue Diamond to name some. Springsin Blue Diamond are being pumped dry, and there is worry that they may not survivethere.


9/48


10/48


8

LISTERA CORDATA An adorable, tiny plant just 4-10 inches tall, it

bears up to 30 flowers that are deeply forked for half itslength. The little flowers look like tiny elves, with forkedlip looking like legs, tiny horn-like projection looking likearms, and petals and sepals spreading over the lip likethe hat.

This orchid is not listed in the Flora of North America , but there is an herbarium sample for it, found inSnake Creek in the Snake Range of White Pine County,Listera cordata is part of a genus commonly calledtwayblades because it always has two leaves. With itsheart-shaped opposite leaves halfway up its stem, it has

earned the title heart-leaved twayblade.

Fungus gnats,attracted by odor and nectar, visit the orchid,triggering three pressure-sensitive hairs that eject adroplet of glue on the unsuspecting gnat. Then, thepollinia are dropped into the glue. The glue hardenslike cement, and the fly is stuck with carrying thepollinia to another flower!!

PIPERIA UNALASCENSIS The species is named for Unalaska, the

Aleutian Island where it was first found.Commonly called Alaskan piperia or slender spireorchid , the small, delicate flowers are carried in aspire that varies from 6-24 inches. The genus wasnamed in honor of C. V. Piper of the AgriculturalExperiment Station at Pullman, Washington. In the

fall , Piperia forms new underground roots, one of which later forms a new tuber. Thebasal leaves appear in late fall to spring, and the flower spikes arise from late springsto early summer. The leaves yellow and fall away before the flower opens; the flowerslast from four to six weeks.

Nocturnally fragrant yet lingering during the day, the flower attracts moths withits unusual smell, sometimes described as musky, soapy, or honey-like. Interestingly,

when the flower first opens, the lip is held tight against the column forcing its


11/48


9

pollinator to remove pollen only in the search for nectar in its spur. Aging over time,the lip moves downward, exposing the nectary and allowing pollen deposition. Thisclever strategy effectively prevents self-pollination by not having the male and femaleparts available at the same time.

Over the years, this plant as been classified with Habenaria or Platanthera . Plantsin all these form underground tubers with fibrous roots, but Piperia has round tubersand Platanthera has elongated tubers. Piperia has leaves near the base, and Platanthera has them scattered along the stem.

PLATANTHERA ( syn. HABENARIA)DILATATA var. ALBIFLORA and var. LEUCOSTACHYS

The Bog Candle , Scent-Bottle , or White Bog Orchid , as it is commonly called, is a small white stalk of fragrant little flowers, maybe eight inches high and

looking just like a little white candle. The first time I saw this

orchid I was on the island of Newfoundland in Canada. They were just growing wild in the streets. They grew along theroadsides, in front of houses, in ditches, in forest, under picnictablesjust everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them.

They also grow in many counties in Nevada. UNR says it hasnumerous herbarium samples of it. It grows here with a widerange of heights, some plants having as many as 248 flowers.

There are two varieties of Platanthera dilatata in Nevada,the var. albiflora and the var. leucostachys , with var. leucostachys being treated sometimes as a distinct species.Both have a spur carrying nectar, providing areward for pollinators. The varieties are basedon differing spur length reflecting differentpollination pressures. The long spurs on theflowers and nocturnal fragrance of var.leucostachys means it is specialized for mothpollination. The short spur on variety albiflora suggests a broad range of pollinators

including the bee or fly.

Variety leucostachys (white means white spike in Greek) is easy to recognize because its flower is always white. The flowers are very fragrant smelling a lot like cloves. The petals trap the emerging lipand newly opened flowers have a loopy look. The upturned lipoffers access to only one side of the lip, and the visiting insect canonly take one pollinia per visit. This strategy ensures that the flower

will have more pollinators carrying genetic material, supposedly


12/48


10

increasing the chances for success. The plant blooms from May to September, andhas a wide tolerance for surviving in different elevations.

This orchid has been used in folk medicine by the ThompsonIndians of British Columbia. Young men use it as a wash to makethem lucky, good looking and sweet smelling. Women use the wash togain a mate and have success in love. Both sexes use it to obtain richesand property. When they dig up the plant they chant, Friend, I want

wealth and much property. Northwest Indians and Eskimos eat thecorms that supposedly taste like potatoes. (Coffey, p.328)

PLATANTHERA ( SYN. HABENARIA ) SPARSIFLORA Flowering from April to September in wet meadows, marshes,

stream banks and seeping slopes, its common name is Sparsely flowering bog orchid. Often producing over 120 green to yellowish

green very fragrant flowers per plant, it is sparsely flowering only incomparison to Platanthera dilatata . It blooms in Mummy Springs in Mt.Charleston, and our club hiked up to see it. It is easily recognized by its green color and large column, which fills half the hood formedby the sepals and petals. This is a narrow flower that likes highelevations and wet ground. It is thought to be pollinated by a moth,the pollinia attaching to its proboscis.

PLATANTHERA STRICTA

Sometimes called Platanthera saccata ,because of its saccate or purse-shaped spur,this two-to-three foot orchid can have sixty green flowers, sometimes with a purple tinge.

As a reward to the variety of insects that visitthe flower, the orchid offers droplets of nectar on the flowers as well as nectar insidethe spur. Blooming from May to early Augustin Elko County at 7500 feet, it is called theSlender Bog Orchid. It is not mentioned inthe Flora of North America but is mentioned inCorrells Native Orchids Of North America andLuers Native Orchids Of The United States And Canada.

It is pollinated by a whole group of insects with short mouthparts. It has a wholebouquet of treats to attract pollinators- floral


13/48


11

fragrance, a sparkling, shimmering appearance of the inflorescence, extrafloral glucoseto eat on the flower raceme, nectar in a spur, and a pollination chamber that canaccommodate a variety of insects.

SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS Of conservation concern, this rare orchid is a naturally occurring hybrid of S.

romanzoffiana and S. magnicamporum , blooming in July and August, in moist to wetmeadows, stream banks, and marshes. Although it has been found in Colorado,Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, it is very rare inNevada. It is commonly called Utes Ladies-tresses and is pollinated by long-tonguedbees like bumblebees that seek out the nectar.

James Morefield of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program says that it is listedas a threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act .He

further remarked in an e-mail on April 29, 2003:One of my highest orchid priorities has been to establish whether or not Spiranthes diluvialis is still present in Nevada. Theonly record is from the 1930s, probably in the native hay meadow directly below (west of Panaca Spring on the northern edge of Panaca in Lincoln County). This meadow is privately owned, andso far the landowner has not been keen on allowing a Stateemployee to determine whether or not a threatened orchid exists ontheir land.

James Coyner, American Orchid Society Rep to the Utah

Orchid Society who is a Spiranthes diluvialis recovery team member,recounts his frustration also: I also searched an area north of therein White Pine County in the general area of the Pony ExpressRoute west of the Goshute Indian Reservation. The search wasbased on a ranch hands report that he had seen such a plantgrowing there.

He found no orchids and would be very interested in anyone who has. It would be an interesting project for our club to try to re-locate this orchid.


14/48


12

SPIRANTHES INFERNALIS

Ash Meadows in Nye County is an unlikely place to find an orchid. Hot and dry, just nine miles

from Death Valley Junction, the ground is so thickly covered with salt that it looked like winter snow. Fedby a vast network of underground springs, theground bounces like foam rubber when you walk onit. On June 25, 2003, seven hardy Greater Las VegasOrchid Society conservation enthusiasts braved theintense summer heat to participate in the orchidcount of Spiranthes infernalis at Ash Meadows National

Wildlife Refuge. Spiranthes infernalis is found there andnowhere else in the world. We got up at dawn and

drove 90 miles to make sure that the population of endemic orchids was safe. Invasive weeds, like theRussian knapweed (Acroptilon repens ), a noxiousperennial herb, probably introduced in hay fromEurasia, now covers over 500 acres where there werenone in 1990. The fear is that the introduced weeds

will squeeze out the rare and exotic orchid. The 22,000 acres of Meadows are protected as a national wildlife refuge because they contain a greater concentration of unique species than any other location in theUnited States13 threatened and endangered species and at least 24 plants andanimals found nowhere else in the world- including our orchid. It is one of the few natural desert oases in the Southwest, providing habitat for 220 species of migratory birds.

Spiranthes come from two Greek words meaning coil and flowers for thecoiled or spiraled flower spikes of this genus. Because of the supposed resemblance of the spirals to some hairstyles, Spiranthes are commonly called ladies-tresses.Spiranthes infernalis , Ash Meadows ladies-tresses, was named in 1989 by Charles J.Sheviak and is endemic to the alkaline, moist soils of Ash Meadows, meaning it isONLY found there, making it very special. It is similar to other Spiranthes with many small, white, spiraling orchid flowers. In 1990, populations worldwide were estimatedat between 730-1160 individuals. Until last year, global counts for species were around1400 individuals. Surveys last year estimated 10,000 individuals and this year, happily,the survey we took part in found 13,500 plants.


15/48


13

SPIRANTHES PORRIFOLIA Porrifolia comes from two Latin words meaning leek

green and leaves, referring to the color of the leaves. Thebeautiful flower spike has multiple spirals of over 100 creamy yellow

flowers. Thoreau wrote of Spiranthes , Its crystalline white flowersare arranged in a dense spiral cone like the thread of a screwalthough others think it resembles a girls braids. Restricted in range,it is limited to the western parts of the United States, mainly California, Oregon and Washington, giving it is common name of western ladies-tresses. Its peak blooming season is July and

August, and its blooming season overlaps with Spiranthes romanzoffiana , which may account for the existence of naturalhybrids between the two. It grows in moist meadows and seeps.

Darwin described the pollination mechanism of Spiranthes to

prevent self-pollination. On freshly opened flowers, the column ispositioned close to the lip blocking the stigma. The insect probing for nectar comes away with a load of pollen but cannot deposit it onthe blocked female part. As the flower ages, the stigma is revealed,and an insect can deposit pollen from another flower. This is acommon strategy of Spiranthes.

SPIRANTHES ROMANZOFFIANA

The species is named in honor of NicholasRomanzof, a Russian minister of state when the flower

was discovered in Alaska, Alaska was a Russian territory and so named it for its minister. The sepals and petalsform a hood over the column and the basal half of the lip,and the common name is therefore hooded ladies-tresses, the tresses referring to the curly spirals of flowers. It has a pandurate or violin-shaped lip that isdistinctive. In the Southwest, blooming size is between 4and 16 inches with up to 60 flowers in three dense spirals.It is found in meadows as well as springs and grassy wetareas. Blooming in August, it is difficult to find when notin bloom because the grasses and other plants hide itsshort leaves.

Spiranthes romanzoffiana has a sweet aroma that hasbeen described as that of sweet lilacs. Eleven pollinatorsare attracted to its delightful aroma, six species of


16/48


14

bumblebee, one cuckoo bee, one leaf-cutting bee, and three halictid bees. Bees visitmany times over a long period, landing on the lowest flowers first and working their

way up the inflorescence. Supposedly, the lower flowers have the most nectar and aretherefore the most attractive. The tallest, prettiest plants attract the most visitors.Pollinia are attached to the insects tongue!

So there we have them, all twelve. What a thrill it is for us to know that somany native orchids have found a home in Nevada!

The following orchids are mentioned in the Flora as being in Nevada:Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. Flora of North America :

Volume 26. New York, Oxford. Oxford University Press. 2002

Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes diluvialis Spiranthes infernalis Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys Platanthera sparsiflora Piperia unalascensis Listera convallarioides Corallorhiza striata var. striata Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii

Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis

Platanthera stricta is not mentioned in the FLORA but is mentioned as being fromNevada in:Correll, Donovan Stewart. Native Orchids of North America North of Mexico .Stanford University Press. Stanford. 1978.Luer, C.A. The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada . New York Botanical Garden. New York. 1975.

The following orchids are represented by dried specimens and are in the database of UNLV at Las Vegas, Nevada. Thanks to Professor Wes Niles and Kathryn Birgy forall your help.

Corallorhiza maculata Epipactis gigantea Habenaria dilatata ( syn. Platanthera)Habenaria dilatata var. leucostachys ( syn. Platanthera)


17/48


15

Habenaria sparsiflora (syn. Platanthera )Listera cordata (not mentioned in the Flora above)**** Spiranthes infernalis Spiranthes romanzoffiana

The following species are dried specimens and in the database of UNR. Thanks to Arnold Tiehm and Christy Malone for your help.

Corallorhiza maculata Epipactis gigantea Habenaria dilatata ( syn. Platanthera)Habenaria dilatata var. leucostachys ( syn. Platanthera)Habenaria sparsiflora (syn. Platanthera )

Listera convallarioides Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes romanzoffiana

In the herbariums of UNR and UNLV, the following orchids are represented by county (starting from Southern Nevada and going north)CLARK:Epipactis gigantea Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys (This orchid is NOT represented in theherbariums. However, Dr. Patrick Leary asserts that it was collected by Ira Stokey in

Kyle Canyon, and Dr. Leary is the expert on this areas plants.)Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora

NYE:Corallorhiza maculata Epipactis gigantea Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora Spiranthes infernalis Spiranthes romanzoffiana

LINCOLN:Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora

ESMERALDAPlatanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora

MINERAL:


18/48


16

None

DOUGLAS:Corallorhiza maculata Epipactis gigantea Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys Platanthera (Habenaria ) dilatata (no variety listed) Listera convallarioides

LYON:Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (no variety mentioned)

CARSON CITY:Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora

Platanthera ( Habenaria ) dilatata var. leucostachys Listera convallarioides

CHURCHILL:None

STOREY:Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys

LANDER:

Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys

EUREKA:None

WHITE PINE:Corallorhiza maculata Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (var. not mentioned) Platanthera ( Habenaria ) dilatata var. leucostachys Platanthera ( Habenaria ) sparsiflora Listera convallarioides Listera cordata

WASHOE:Corallorhiza maculata Listera convallarioides Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys


19/48


17

Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (var. not mentioned)Platanthera ( Habenaria ) sparsiflora Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes romanzoffiana

PERSHING:None

HUMBOLDT:Epipactis gigantea Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora

ELKO:Corallorhiza maculata

Platanthera dilatata (var. not mentioned)Platanthera sparsiflora Spiranthes romanzoffiana Platanthera stricta (specified county by Correll)

The following orchids are found in the herbarium from the following counties:Corallorhiza maculata: Douglas, Washoe, White Pine, Nye, Elko

Epipactis gigantea :Clark, Douglas, Humboldt, Nye

Listera convallarioides :Douglas, Ormsby/Carson, Washoe, White Pine

Listera cordata : White Pine

Platanthera dilatata (no variety listed): Elko, Douglas, Lyon, Washoe, White Pine

Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys: Carson, Douglas, Elko, Lander, Storey, Washoe, White Pine

Platanthera sparsiflora :Carson City, Clark, Lincoln, White Pine, Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Nye, Washoe


20/48


18

Spiranthes infernalis: Nye

Spiranthes romanzoffiana :Elko, Washoe, Nye

Authors note; I could not have done this little article without the help and guidance of RonColeman. I never appreciated how much time and effort went into his books until I started writing this tiny shadow of his work. Much of the information in the article comes from his books. I amoverwhelmed with gratitude to Paul Martin Brown and Stan Folsom who kindly allowed me toreprint the pictures from their wonderful new book on wild orchids. Thanks, too, Dr. Patrick Leary,Southern Nevada plant expert for his help with the local orchids and for actually showing them tous. I am grateful to Dr. Wes Niles of the UNLV Herbarium for the time he spent with me at theherbarium as well as to Kathryn Birgyy for her help with the database. At UNR, I am indebted to

Arnold Tiehm and Christy Malone for information about the herbarium. Thanks to Gina Glenn of the US Fish and Wildlife Service for allowing me to take part in the Spiranthes infernalis orchid count.I much appreciate the input by e-mail from James Coyner of the Spiranthes diluvialis recovery teamand to James Morefield of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, as well as to Dr. Lucy Jordan andto Marilyn Light, Chairperson of North American Regional Orchid Specialist Group, In addition, Iappreciate all the leads from David McAdoo, leader of the Native Orchid Group, a greatorganization.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Brown, Paul Martin & Stan Folsom. The Wild Orchids of North America, North of Mexico. University

Press of Florida. Gainesville. 2003.Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North America.Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, New

York. 1993.Coleman, Ronald A.. The Wild Orchids of Arizona and New Mexico. Comstock Publishing Associates,

Cornell University Press. Ithaca and London. 2002.The Wild Orchids of California . Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press.Ithaca and London. 1995.

Correll, Donovan Stewart. Native Orchids of North America . Stanford University Press. Stanford,California. 1978.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee. Flora of North America North of Mexico, Volume26.Oxford University Press. New York and Oxford. 2002

Keenan, Philip E. Wild Orchids Across North America . Timber Press. Portland. 1998. Van Der Cingel, N.A. An Atlas of Orchid Pollination: America, Africa, Asia and Australia . AA Balkema

Publishers. Rotterdam. 2001.

Carol Siegel 8601 Robinson Ridge Drive,Las Vegas, NV [email protected]


21/48


19

Above:Corallorhiza maculata, C. striata var. striata, C. striata var. vreelandii Epipactis gigantea; Listera convallarioides; L. cordata Over, page 20:Piperia unalascensis; Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora, P. dilatata var. leucostachys,P. sparsiflora, P. stricta; Spiranthes diluvialis S. infernalis, S. porrifolia, S. romanzoffiana Photos by P.M. Brown; S. infernalis by C. Siegel


22/48


20


23/48

Siegal : THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

21

Corallorhiza maculata Corallorhiza striata Epipactis gigantea

Listera convallarioides Listera cordata Piperia unalascensis


24/48

Siegal : THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

22

Platanthera dilatata Platanthera sparsiflora Platanthera stricta

Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes romanzoffiana

Spiranthes diluvialis Spiranthes infernalis


25/48

Folsom: ORCHID MEMORIES

23

ORCHID MEMORIES

Stan Folsom

Orchids can subtly seduce someone with their rarity, allure and beauty. Somelike the quest to see as many native species as one can in the United States, thereforefalling victim to the rarity of some of our native orchids. Others are attracted toorchids for the cache attached to them and they are trapped by the orchid's allure.Lastly, some just enjoy looking at these amazing specimens, drinking in their often-breathtaking beauty and so they, too, are snared by the orchids into a lifetime of devotion.

This compendium of orchid memories details my journey with words andpaintings about these plants and their companion plants in the wild. As is every artist'sright, I have chosen to paint these examples partly from memories of the encounter,partly relying on photographic materials and partly from that indefinable something that prods every artist to create his or her vision of the world. I hope you find theexperience pleasurable and worthwhile.

Arethusa bulbosa , the dragon mouth orchid , dots northern bogs with splashesof brilliant magenta pink, lavender, or blue, and sometimes white, as far as the eye cansee. I first encountered these little gems in a boggy piece of pasture at Goose Rocks inMaine. I also saw hundreds of them while on a trip to Newfoundland. They seem tosprig the blanket of the open bogs with their full range of colors, luring me to explorein ever-widening searches that were rewarded with spectacular plants.

This painting is a memory of such a bog I found near Schoodic Point on thenorthern Maine coast. Carved out of the encroaching woods, it was a soggy exploration as I hopped from hummock to hummock trying to avoid the chilly watersthat pervaded the bog. In the midst of the spruce along the perimeter of the bog, thetamaracks were just coming into leaf, framing the picture in my mind. Blooming withthe Arethusa I saw the early marsh violet which provided my picture with a dazzling contrast to the brightly color orchids. With all these elements in place it was easy toset to work to record my impressions of this encounter.


26/48


24

Arethusa bulbosa

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens


27/48


25

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens , the large yellow lady's-slipper , is widespreadthrough the United States and Canada, but this clump grows in the duff along astreambed in southern Maine amidst the ferns that will later grow to cover theorchid's foliage. I first became acquainted with this handsome member of the Orchidfamily as a young child wandering the woods near my parents' summer cottage. I was

not aware of what I was looking at until many years later when I was able toaccompany Paul Martin Brown up to Caribou, Maine (which is several hundreds of miles from the cottage). We were taken to a woodland that had upwards of athousand blooming plants propagated there by Martin Rasmussen. As this orchidtransplants fairly easily he gave us a clump to take back to the cottage where it hasfaithfully produced blooms each year since.

That experience awakened my recollections of seeing these orchids when I wasa child. Paul and I hunted for them then and relocated my original site. We searchedfarther afield and found quite a few in the area. I was especially taken with the ones

that grew along the streambed so they became my inspiration for the orchid memory.

Calypso bulbosa var. americana , the eastern fairy-slipper , comes up on the mossy forest floor under northern white cedars, sparking the gloomy bog with their jewel-like colors. Those in the painting are a memory from northern Vermont in a shadowy bog deep in the woods on Mr. Shield's property.

Mr. Shields has a handsome farmhouse that sits opposite the site on a sweep of lawn and farmyard. After going to his house to apprise him of our desire to trek intohis woods across the road to see the Calypso, we arm ourselves with insect repellentand begin our quest. The trail can be sloppy if the spring has been a wet one. Thereare riverlets twining through the hummocky woods. Mainly northern white cedargrow in these woods. In the gloom of the shady knell we finally stumble upon aCalypso.

Its diminutive size has made it difficult to spot but once I have seen one I canmore easily hunt for others. The time in searching is finally rewarded with a smallgroup of these spectacular blooms growing beside an uprooted cedar, its exposed

roots framing the scene. Hence my inspiration for this orchid memory.Continuing my remembrances, I saw relatives of Calypso bulbosa on the West

Coast all the way to Alaska. Throughout this region you can find Calypso bulbosa var.occidentalis . It can be found blooming under the California redwoods, in the OlympicMountains of Washington, and even into the far reaches of southern Alaska, where Ifound a cluster still in bloom in July. I have even seen the white-flowered form.


28/48


26

Calypso bulbosa var. americana

Cypripedium montanum


29/48


27

When Paul and I and our two Pomeranians made a journey across country in 1999 we saw many lovely orchids in bloom as well as some that might be classified as small,insignificant specimens. Many will argue that there are no small, insignificant orchidsbut I have a harder time enjoying some of the Piperias that are so prevalent in the

West. I will grant that some of them were tall and magnificently flowered but they are

not my idea of a spectacular orchid to paint. On out return to the East, we traveledthrough the province of British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. We stoppedoften to botanize the roadsides and were rewarded with discovering a spectacularorchid. Paul spotted the clump as I was admiring the rocky hillsides and tumbling streams that cascaded down from the mountaintops.

Paul called to me to come and see his discovery. Cypripedium montanum , themountain lady's-slippers were peeking out beneath towering Douglas firs in thesemountainous regions north of Radium Hot Springs, which is in British Columbia. My mind was imprinted with the majesty of the scene and when my creative urges

prompted me to record it in 2002, the scene easily materialized. It was near this spot where I discovered the pad leaf orchid , ( Platanthera orbiculata ) down a trail I followed with the dogs that descended deep into the woods. Paul told me that these orchids are very rare in that part of the world.

Just year, my partner, Paul Martin Brown, and I bundled the dogs and our catinto the car and set out for Arkansas to see if we could find a very rare orchid,Calopogon oklahomensis . We had directions from a fellow enthusiast who knew of theexistence of a remnant prairie where they could be found. We arrived at the spot andfound the prairie alive with colorful plants but the orchid seemed to be non-existent.

While Paul searched the first patch, I drove slowly along the roadside hunting for atelltale spot of magenta that would mark the presence of the orchid. My quest did notproduce any evidence of the plants. When I returned to the section Paul had explored

without success, I traipsed all the way to the farthest extremity with the same result.Returning to check on the animals left in the car, I stumbled upon a cluster of theorchids blooming below the taller prairie plants. No wonder they were so hard to spotfrom the highway or in the actual prairie with all the competition from the otherlarger prairie plants.

Crossing to the other side of the road where there was more prairie to explore,I gave the dogs a short break and scrambled up into the prairie with them when an18-wheeler bore down upon us. There, Calopogon oklahomensis , the Oklahoma grass-

pink , came up in wild profusion throughout the remnant railroad prairie. Calling Paulover to my discovery, we found several hundred plants in bloom that day in early May. Blooming with them were prairie coreopsis, the green prairie milkweed, andspiderwort.


30/48


28

Calopogon oklahomensis

Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis


31/48


29

I was inspired to fill my picture with as many examples of the colors of theCalopogons as I could. The other prairie plants could not be left out of the memory so I squeezed in as many of the lovely prairie plants as well. The hazy sky with theclouds scudding through it evokes the constant wind that blew across the landscape

while we were there.

Paul took a trip to Alaska with a group of fellow enthusiasts one summer. He was so enamored of the area that he wanted to revisit the state. This time I was ableto accompany the group. I loved being able to scout out orchids as the othersphotographed. One of the sites the group wanted to visit was on Kodiak Island off the coast of Alaska. The day the flight was booked was overcast and the trip looked injeopardy. Our plane took off and we were soon enveloped in fog and mist. The pilotexpressed his doubts about landing as we dropped so precipitously close to the oceanthat we could suddenly see waves beneath us through the break in the cloud cover.

He pulled up sharply and tried another run toward the island. After two shots hereluctantly turned about and we were once again back in Anchorage. With a, "We'll try it again this afternoon," the pilot allowed his passengers to disembark. Needless to say

we were able to make a landing and had the amazing experience of being in a natural wonderland. It is largely unspoiled by civilization and commercialization. We had a wonderful guide who took us about the area. My most vivid recollections were of ahillside pasture that had sweeping views out to the ocean below the heavy clouds.

This pasture had buffalo wandering around, as they will fight the Kodiak bears thattry to attack them unlike what ordinary cattle would do. The carpet of the pasture wasalive with wildflowers and orchids. One could hardly walk for all the varieties of blooming plants that crowded the grassy slopes.

Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis , the Kodiak orchid , grows in abundance onthese bluffs overlooking the sea. I painted the memory of the glowering sky and thelush landscape with these orchids, the scarlet painted cups, the bunchberries, the Sitkalupine, and the chocolate lilies scattered everywhere. Only the roaming buffalo aremissing.

Platanthera ciliaris , the orange fringed orchis , grows from southern New England to Florida and west to eastern Texas. These glorious plants are from aroadside ditch in northern Florida growing with cinnamon fern, brown-eyedcoreopsis, and pink sabatia. We traveled the short distance from our Florida home tosee these plants. They bloomed in a sub-division of middle class homes in the wetditch that ran alongside the roadway. They perched on the banks leading up intopeople's yards. It was fortunate these homeowners did not feel inclined to mow theirlawns right down to the edges of the road for they would have eradicated the entirepopulation.


32/48


30

Platanthera ciliaris

Platanthera leucophaea


33/48


31

Here in Florida, the highway departments have been very cooperative about theirmowing times. In Goethe State Forest they have stopped mowing a wide swath andonly mow the immediate edge of the roadway. Once a year they mow the entire sweepof the roadsides to keep down the woody material. Since this was instituted severalnew orchids for that stretch of road have shown up. On Florida's Turnpike for the

last few years they have stopped mowing off the spikes of Sacoila lanceolata until theplants have set seed. They will even mow around a single plant with those enormousgang mowers that they use. By such actions as these and those of the subdivisionshomeowners I had a chance to be inspired to record these orchid glories that Iotherwise might not have seen.

Platanthera leucophaea , the eastern prairie fringed orchis , is such an erraticbloomer that it was hard to catch in flower. These striking plants were seen atChiwaukee Prairie in southern Wisconsin in July blooming with coneflowers and

prairie phlox. We had set out from Boston in the heat of early summer and traveling west came into the Chicago area and located suitable lodging. The next morning, inthe early rising mists, we were in the prairie searching for the plants. They were easy to spot, as they are tall and majestic rising above the prairie grasses and wildflowers. I

was not able to paint them on the spot but I did make a watercolor of chicory andblack-eyed Susans and soapworts that I collected along a roadside near the motel. Thenext summer when Paul led a group to see the eastern prairie fringed orchis, whichhad stubbornly refused to bloom that year, I painted a group of the Michigan liliesthat grew along the edge of the prairie. It wasn't until after I had visited southernManitoba on a hot and dusty July morning to see hundreds of the closely relatedPlatanthera praeclara dotting the open prairie that I had enough inspiration to attempt apainting of my experiences. I chose to remember Chiwaukee because it was cool andrefreshing that early morning when I first saw Platanthera leucophaea .

Let me conclude my essay by assuring you that I will continue to gatherimpressions of my quests for orchids as I explore our rich countryside for more of theexquisite plants that have taken my fancy. Paul and I will be traveling this month tolocate the very rare Spiranthes parksii in Jasper County, Texas. Our two dogs will

accompany us as usual. Possibly this experience will bloom in my imagination as Icontinue to record my impressions on paper.

A limited number of full-color, 16X20, matted prints (with optional framing) areavailable from the artist. Contact Stan Folsom at [email protected] or at 10896 SW 90th

Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 for prices and availability.


34/48

Brown & Stewart : TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS

32

Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma purpurea P.M. Brown J. Fowler

Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus P.M. Brown

Malaxis spicata formatrifoliata P.M. Brown

Calopogon oklahomensis formaalbiflorus P.M. Brown

Calopogon barbatus formaalbiflorus P.M. BrownD. McAdoo

NEW TAXA


35/48


33

NEW TAXA: FIVE DISTINCTIVE NEW FORMS

Paul Martin Brown

Four new color forms and one growth form of our native orchids areherewith presented. Two with white-flowered forms, two distinctive-coloredforms, and a distinctive growth form are proposed. In all five cases the plantsremain consistent each year, and in several cases the color forms are

widespread throughout the range of the species.

Calopogon barbatus forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov. TYPE: United States, North Carolina: Brunswick County, Green Swamp May 2003 (holotype: photograph D. McAdoo. North American Native Orchid Journal 9:

32. 2003.)Forma floribus albus conspeciebus diversa.Differs from other forms of the species in its pure white flowers.

Calopogon barbatus is a widespread grass-pink throughout much of theSoutheastern Coastal Plain and for the most part is consistent in a rich magentacoloring. Upon rare occasion a paler plant may be seen. White-flowered formshave only been noted twice, both in 2003. David McAdoo's sighting of a white-flowered form in the Green Swamp of southeastern North Carolina providesthe type for the forma albiflorus .

Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus P.M. Brown forma nov. TYPE: United States, Georgia: Charlton County, St. George, roadside scrape, April 12, 2003 Brown 2309 (holotype: GAS) photograph P.M. Brown. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 31. 2003).Forma floribus lilacinus conspeciebus diversa.Differs from other forms of the species in its lilac-colored flowers.

Growing in southeastern Georgia, not far from the Florida border, areseveral hundred Calopogon barbatus and within this wonderful stand are severalplants that are a clear pale lilac in color. The little roadside scrape area is mostremarkable for is has not only the Calopogon barbatus , but also C. pallidus , C.tuberosus (both of which have white-flowered forms there), Cleistes divaricata ,Pogonia ophioglossoides , and several species of carnivores including pitcher plants,sundews, bladderworts, and butterworts. And that is just one day in April!

NEW TAXA


36/48


34

Calopogon oklahomensis forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov. TYPE: United States, Arkansas: Prairie County, railroad prairie May 5, 2003(holotype: photograph P.M. Brown. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32.2003.Forma floribus albus conspeciebus diversa.Differs from other forms of the species in its pure white flowers.Recently described in 1995 by Doug Goldman, the Oklahoma grass-pink is asmall but colorful orchid of the south-central prairies. The typical color of thespecies can vary from deep royal purple through magenta and pale pinks.Occasionally mixed within this array are pure white-flowered plants. The prairieremnant where the type is located is a narrow strip along a railroad in eastern

Arkansas.

Malaxis spicata forma trifoliata P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, Florida: Levy County, Goethe State Forest, woodedswamp October 14, 2003 Brown 2315 (holotype: FLAS) photograph P.M.Brown. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32. 2003.Forma trifolia conspeciebus diversa.Differs from other forms of the species in having three leaves.Several species of eastern North American Malaxis that are unifoliate have beenfound with two leaves and have been so named. This is the first example of abifoliate Malaxis with three leaves. Several plants of varying size were found

with three leaves growing in the same swampy woods in north-central Florida.

Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma purpurea P.M. Brown forma nov. TYPE: United States, South Carolina: Berkley County, August 2003 (Holotype:photograph J. Fowler . North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32. 2003).Forma floribus purpureus conspeciebus diversa.Differs from other forms of the species in its purple flowers.

This unusual color form is perhaps the most interesting of all of thoseproposed in this publication. Throughout all of Florida and in the few locationin adjacent Georgia and Alabama plants of the crestless plume orchids aretypically yellow/purple/green/black in coloration. Many of the plants found inSouth Carolina and Louisiana are this handsome rosy-purple in color. Whencompleting his treatment for Flora of North America North of MexicoGustavoRomero (Orchid Herbarium of Oakes Ames) concluded that they are all thesame widespread species. A pure yellow-flowered form, P. ecristata forma flava P.M. Brown, is also known

NEW TAXA


37/48


35

TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS

Paul Martin Brown & Scott Stewart

While searching for plants of Platanthera chapmanii hybrid swarms werenoted in both the Apalachicola National Forest and Osceola National Forest inthe panhandle of Florida (Folsom, 1984). Both of these hybrids appear to befrequent when the parents are found growing together. Several earliercollections labeled as P. cristata , P. chapmanii , and P. ciliaris have often proven tobe the hybrids. Spur length, orifice opening and column shape are all helpful indetermining both the species and the hybrids.

Platanthera x osceola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.

Hybrid e Platanthera chapmanii et P. ciliaris ; floribus, calcaribus, et columinusintermediusHybrid between Platanthera chapmanii and P. ciliaris ; flowers, spur, and columnintermediate

TYPE: U.S.A. Florida: Baker County. 27 July 2003. Experimental Forest atOsceola National Forest along highway US-90 west of the town of Olustee. G.

Anglin & S.L. Stewart SLS #121(holotype: FLAS) photograph p. 36.

Platanthera x apalachicola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.Hybrid e Platanthera chapmanii et P. cristata; floribus, calcaribus, et columinusintermediusHybrid between Platanthera chapmanii and P. cristata ; flowers, spur, and columnintermediate

TYPE: U.S.A. Florida: Liberty County. 26 July 2003. Apalachicola NationalForest along Forest Road 123 (Cotton Landing Loop Road) off State Road379 out of Sumatra, FL G. Anglin & S.L. Stewart SLS #122 (holotype: FLAS)photograph p. 36.

Literature Cited:Folsom, J.P. 1984. Reinterpretation of the status and relationships of the yellow-fringed

orchid complex. Orquidea (Mexico) 9(2): 337-345. The authors thank Guy Anglin, botanist for the National Forest for his cooperation and Bill& Pam Anderson for assistance in the field in ANF.Paul Martin Brown , 10896 SW 90th Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 [email protected] Scott L. Stewart , Plant Restoration, Conservation and Propagation Biotechnology ProgramEnvironmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida, PO Box 110675,Gainesville, Florida 32611 [email protected]


38/48


36

P. ciliaris

P. chapmanii

P. x osceola P. cristata

P. x apalachicola


39/48

Brown : UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII

37

UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII , ITS

ORIGINS AND HYBRIDS

Paul Martin Brown

Although geographically restricted to the southern portion of the southeasternUnited States, Platanthera chapmanii (Small) Luer emend. Folsom, Chapmans fringedorchis , is an important component of the summer-flowering orchid flora of the Gulf Coastal Plain and northeastern Florida (Folsom, 1984). Historically known from East

Texas, much of northern Florida, and two sites in southeastern Georgia, today it canbe best found in the Apalachicola and Osceola National Forests of Florida.Occasionally, other small sites in northern Florida persist. The species is absent fromthe eastern half of the Panhandle and the Marion and Polk County records for Floridaappear to be Channells hybrid fringed orchis , P . x channellii Folsom. Only a few sites remain in East Texas and the Georgia locale is based upon an historic collection.No collections have ever been made from the area between Apalachicola and East

Texas.

Understanding this species and its relationships to the closely related orangefringed orchis , Platanthera ciliaris (L.) Lindley, and orange crested orchis , P. cristata (Michaux) Lindley , is greatly simplified if the observer can see all three taxa in onefield session. This can only be accomplished in the Osceola National Forest, for theorange fringed orchis is historical and apparently absent from any of the otherknown localities for Chapmans fringed orchis . Liggio & Liggio (1999) clearly statethat orange fringed orchis has never been found within any of the Texas locales forChapmans fringed orchis . Conversely, the orange crested orchis is often foundgrowing within or nearby many of the Chapmans fringed orchis sites, especially ineastern Florida.

Folsom aptly demonstrated in his 1984 publication that the origins of Platanthera chapmanii were most likely an ancient hybridization of orange fringedorchis and orange crested orchis . Therefore Chapmans fringed orchis appears tobe intermediate in size and characters between the two ancestors. Over the years ithas evolved into a stable, reproducing species with a very distinctive column. At thesame time the contemporary hybrid of orange fringed orchis and orange crested


40/48


38

orchis , P . x channellii , occurs in rare situations when both parents are present. It, too, isintermediate between the parents, but the column is unlike that of Chapmansfringed orchis . One of the best helps in the initial determination of plants in the fieldis observing what predominates in the area. If both the orange fringed orchis andthe orange crested orchis are present and only a few intermediates are to be foundthen they, in all probability, would be the hybrid, Platanthera x channellii . If the majority of plants appear intermediate between orange fringed orchis and orange crestedorchis and only a few of either of the latter species are present then the observerneeds to look carefully at the shape of the column, and most likely the majority of plants will be Chapmans fringed orchis .

Characters that help in determining which species are present includegeographic location, diameter of raceme, size of flower, length and position of spur,and shape of orifice. To simply state that the orange fringed orchis is larger,

Chapmans fringed orchis , intermediate in size, and orange crested orchis ,smaller, has led to much confusion. For many orchid enthusiasts this, although notstated, implied overall size, especially height. That is not accurate and height shouldnever be taken into account. All three species can grow from 10 or 15 cm to, in thecase of Chapmans fringed orchis and orange fringed orchis , over a meter inheight! When size comparisons are made they refer to the diameter of the raceme andmeasurements of the individual flowers. Even the overall height of the flowering raceme is not a good criterion for identification. Because of the ancestral parentage of Chapmans fringed orchis , plants can easily favor the overall raceme shape of eitherparent, but the raceme diameter appears to remain constant. The following

illustrations will assist in understanding this comparison.

In addition to understanding the species, orchid observers need to be aware of the hybrids that are involved in this complex (Brown, 2002; Brown & Stewart, 2003).

These hybrids that are readily involved include: Platanthera x apalachicola P.M. Brown & S. Stewart

( Chapmans fringed orchis x orange crested orchis Platanthera x channellii Folsom

( orange fringed orchis x orange crested orchis ) Platanthera x osceola P.M. Brown & S. Stewart

( Chapmans fringed orchis x orange fringed orchis )

Relationships among this group are best summed up in the following diagram. The white-flowered species, Platanthera blephariglottis (Willdenow) Lindley, northern white fringed orchis , P. conspicua (Nash) P.M. Brown, southern white fringed


41/48


39

orchis , and P. integrilabia Correll, monkey-face orchis , are included in this diagramfor completeness in the group.

P. chapmanii

Platanthera x apalachicola is locally common in northern Florida where bothparents frequently grow together. They usually occur as individuals and may appear

within stands of Chapmans fringed orchis as smaller flowered, more slender plantsor within stands of orange crested orchis as larger flowered, more robustindividuals. The hooked column of Chapmans fringed orchis is usually dominantbut the spur length and position is intermediate.

Platanthera x channellii and Chapmans fringed orchis can be difficult to tellapart. One of the best ways is to look about and see which other species are growing nearby. If all the plants observed are the same, and within the range of Chapmansfringed orchis , it is most likely Chapmans fringed orchis , whereas if it is a colony of mixed species and only a few intermediate plants are present it is more likely to beP . x channellii .

Platanthera x osceola is known only from Osceola National Forest where it is theonly place documented that both parents are found growing together. Plants of thehybrid usually occur as individuals and may appear within stands of Chapmansfringed orchis as larger flowered, more robust plants with decidedly longer spurs or

within stands of orange fringed orchis as smaller more compactly flowered

P. x beckneri

P. cristata

P. blephariglottis

P. x bicolor

P. conspicua

P. x channellii P. ciliaris

P. integrilabia

P. x canbyi

P. x lueri

P. x osceola P. x apalachicola


42/48


43/48

Empiricist : THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST

41

ORCHID EXPLORATION FOR THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST

The Slow Empiricist

It has been almost a year since I have thought about writing an EmpiricistColumn. I have been busy in the field exploring and finding new sites. I have also

been busy with my other interests. As I grow older it is harder to do all the things I want to do in a given day or week.

This column is about setting priorities. A good orchid enthusiast knows hisor her limitations and provides for them. I remember many years ago traveling witha group of fellow orchid pursuers. One of the women in the group had difficulty navigating rough terrain. She elected to stay behind so that she would not slow theprogress of the others. She and I stayed together and explored the immediateterritory and found many things to delight our fancy. The others saw more exoticterritory but we both felt that our explorations had been just as satisfying.

On another adventure, one member of the group was very uneasy aboutheights and pushed herself to her limit of endurance. She achieved a new milestonefor her own personal accomplishment and was rewarded with new sights and new plants in the rarified atmosphere.

A few years back an older gentleman marveled at the ease with which PaulMartin Brown flung himself down upon the ground to photograph an orchid. Iremember him saying that in a few years it would not be so easy to get around. Thisdid not stop this gentleman from participating in the excursion nor did it impedehim from getting his photographs. It took him longer than he would have liked andhe had some difficulty getting down to his quarry but he managed.

Now I am plagued with aches and pains as I go about my daily life and Ihave trouble sitting for a long while in a car without getting out and having astretch along the roadside or at a rest area. I still am not going to curtail my


44/48


42

explorations because of these failings. I have made some concessions to aging but Ialso have made some adjustments to my exploring patterns.

I now have found that a small pillow behind my back or one under my thighs while I ride makes the trip much more comfortable. When I drive, I canadjust the power seat so it makes the journey more comfortable and if we are on ahighway I can set cruise control to relax my ankle, which aches after an hour of driving.

Since I have to stop more frequently to stretch out my cramped legs, I havebegun to look for likely habitat to explore before I stop. That way I get to indulgein my favorite activity and I have actually found some orchids growing in new territory that just happened to look promising.

The purpose of this column has been to show you that you can still derivepleasure in your orchid explorations even as ailments and the aging processinterfere. By being flexible and open to other possibilities, you can still get greatsatisfaction from your orchid forays. Good hunting!

Your Slow Empiricist


45/48


43

NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHIDS BOOKS INPROGRESS

a news report

Following the recent publication of Wild Orchids of Florida,

Brown &Folsom (2002), The Wild Orchids of Arizona and New Mexico,Coleman (2002) andThe Wild Orchids of North America, north of Mexico(2003), three additional new books on the native orchids of the United States are well underway and will bepublished within the next year or so.From Westcliffe Publishers for Spring 2004Wild Love Affair: Essence of Florida's Native Orchids by Connie BransilverFrom the University Press of Florida:Wild Orchids of the Southeastern United States, north of Peninsular Florida by PaulMartin Brown and Stan Folsom for Fall 2004

And still in preparation:From the University Press of South Carolina:Wild Orchids of South Carolina, a popular natural history by Jim Fowler for 2005

Connie Bransilver's fine-artphotographs and insightful textseamlessly blend the science of orchids with her passion and lovefor these most precious of allflowers. This long-awaited

volume is a beautiful addition to

anyone's orchid library.ISBN: 1-56579-501-6PRICE: $40HARDCOVER 9 x 12"128 PAGES120 PHOTOGRAPHS


46/48


44

AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND AN ORCHID TREASURE

Carol Siegel

It was an unlikely place to find an orchidor an orchid club for thatmatter. Hot and dry, just nine miles from Death Valley Junction, the ground

was so thickly covered with salt that it looked like winter snow. Fed by a vastnetwork of underground springs, the ground bounced like foam rubber when

we walked on it.On June 25, 2003, seven hardy club conservation enthusiasts braved the

intense summer heat to participate in the experience of a lifetime, the orchidcount of Spiranthes infernalis at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. (MikeLawless, Dan Mumau, Liz Leone, John Haydukavitch, Carol Siegel, DianaSmith, and Steve Ninemire). Spiranthes infernalis is found there and nowhere elsein the world. We got up at dawn and drove 90 miles to make sure that thepopulation of 10,000 endemic orchids was safe. Invasive weeds, like theRussian knapweed (Acroptilon repens ), a noxious perennial herb, probably introduced in hay from Eurasia, now covers over 500 acres where there werenone in 1990. The fear is that the introduced weeds will squeeze out the rareand exotic orchid.

The 22,000 acres of Meadows are protected as a national wildlife refuge

because they contain a greater concentration of unique species than any otherlocation in the United States13 threatened and endangered species and atleast 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world- including ourorchid. It is one of the few natural desert oases in the Southwest, providing habitat for 220 species of migratory birds.

Siegel: AN ORCHID TREASURE


47/48


45

We entered through an unpaved road, dusty and deserted looking. In thedistance, Crystal Reservoir, one of 40 springs, sparkled in the shimmering heatof the morning, a blue lake in the crusty earth. We met Gina Glenn of the Fishand Wildlife Service, a charming young lady who led the count. With her wereseveral people from Kew Gardens in England, collecting seed from the uniquemeadow plants as part of their conservation effort. We walked a half-mileraised boardwalk following a narrow stream filled with Baltic rush, Lizards Tailand reeds in the midst of the arid terrain.

Unexpectedly, the boardwalk ended in a pool of clear, blue-green water,Crystal Spring, with a sand floor and bright green algae. The 85 degree water,flowing at 3000 gallons a minute, was part of a vast underground water system

with 30 springs seeping fossil water believed to have entered the watersystem underground thousands of years ago. At one time, the whole area was

an interconnected series of lakes and springs, but the receding glaciers at theend of the ice age left Ash Meadows an isolated oasis in the middle of thedesert. Swimming in the water were tiny pupfish, one of four endangeredspecies of fish in the refuge. As we turned around to go back, we saw our firstlook at our orchid, sticking up like birthday candles in the ground.

Spiranthes infernalis , also called the Ash Meadows ladies-tresses, wasconsidered Spiranthes romanzoffiana until 1989. Spiranthes come from two Greek

words meaning coil and flowers for the coiled or spiraled flower spikes of this genus. Because of the supposed resemblance of the spirals to some

hairstyles, Spiranthes are commonly called ladies-tresses. Spiranthes infernalis , Ash Meadows ladies-tresses, was named in 1989 by Charles J. Sheviak and isendemic to the alkaline, moist soils of Ash Meadows, meaning it is ONLY found there, making it very special. It is similar to other Spiranthes with many small, white, spiraling orchid flowers. In 1990, populations worldwide wereestimated at between 730-1160 individuals. Until last year, global counts forspecies were around 1400 individuals. Surveys last year estimated 10,000individuals and this year, happily, the survey we took part in found 13,500plants. Our little orchid is doing okay!

We were given a map and told to each take a 10 feet swath and walk thelength and breadth of the area, recording orchids as we went. The morning

was spent cutting a path through mesquite and ash groves and saltbush andcreosote, the spiky branches crunching as we pushed our way through thebrush. Crushed and crunched ourselves, we stopped for lunch, and then Ginatook us to another spot, more open and accessible, looking much like the tallgrasses of the African savanna. Wending our way along the small meandering



48/48


stream, we excitedly found our Spiranthes , 14 inches tall, slender and spiraled,little birthday candles. We, who live in the shadow of the architectural wonderthat is Las Vegas, with its glitz and its glamour, were thrilled to see this littlesurvivor, beating all odds by making it in this strange and exotic environment.

Thrilled, too, we were, to have made this effort to save our very special nativeorchid.

Bibliography Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. US Fish and Wildlife Service, handout.Nevada National Parks and Tourist Guide-Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

http://www.americansouthwest.net/nevada/ash_meadows/wildlife_refuge.ht\


Documents

2003 Compilation North American Native Orchid Journal