back the end of july I went up to the tug hill area of ny just east of lake ontario. it wasn't supposed to rain until late in the afternoon, but sure enough as soon as I got out of the car and headed out into the fen area, I started hearing thunder in the distance and some dark clouds. a few minutes later, I was back in my car...
when the rain let up (the first time) I went back out to try and take some pictures of platanthera psycodes, or the lesser purple fringed orchis. I found a few more species, including one I wasn't expecting at all (spiranthes romanzoffiana). this one lone spiranthes would probably be larger than any I have seen at any other spot... I should have gone back up to see it
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left pic purple fringed and bog candle orchids right club spur orchis and bog candles
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left pic bog candles and club spur
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left pic two different shades of lesser purple fringed
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left pic spiranthes romanzoffiana and right pic club spur orchis
two years ago I saw nearly a hundred lesser purple fringed, and last year during the drought there were 0 orchids found. this year, the numbers were as high or higher than two years ago. amazing since the moss and ground last year was crispy. I was hoping to see the one completely white lesser purple fringed orchis I found two years ago, but though there were many very pale ones, there were no plants with completely white ones. it did look like there had been an earlier wave of purple fringed that were already past prime and flowers brown, so there could have been a white one already gone.
this year, plants in the open had been pollinated extensively with the pollinia missing from many flowers on lots of plants. the exception were the plants in the very high grass or sedge where the plants had very fresh flowers that looked mostly unpollinated
when the rain let up (the first time) I went back out to try and take some pictures of platanthera psycodes, or the lesser purple fringed orchis. I found a few more species, including one I wasn't expecting at all (spiranthes romanzoffiana). this one lone spiranthes would probably be larger than any I have seen at any other spot... I should have gone back up to see it
left pic purple fringed and bog candle orchids right club spur orchis and bog candles
left pic bog candles and club spur
left pic two different shades of lesser purple fringed
left pic spiranthes romanzoffiana and right pic club spur orchis
two years ago I saw nearly a hundred lesser purple fringed, and last year during the drought there were 0 orchids found. this year, the numbers were as high or higher than two years ago. amazing since the moss and ground last year was crispy. I was hoping to see the one completely white lesser purple fringed orchis I found two years ago, but though there were many very pale ones, there were no plants with completely white ones. it did look like there had been an earlier wave of purple fringed that were already past prime and flowers brown, so there could have been a white one already gone.
this year, plants in the open had been pollinated extensively with the pollinia missing from many flowers on lots of plants. the exception were the plants in the very high grass or sedge where the plants had very fresh flowers that looked mostly unpollinated
