upstate ny spiranthes cernua in situ

[cnycharles]

last week I decided to visit a spot not far from my old apartment where there were some very robust spiranthes cernua (native orchids) flowering in a roadside ditch. I was told by a co-worker that he had spotted them when driving home. previously i've seen a few of these get over 20" tall, and a few different varieties or forms. cernua has a mix of a few different other species thrown in, so though it can look like a few other different spiranthes, it ends up usually being called 'cernua' (or the nodding ladies tresses)

this population is usually very fragrant, and you can smell them from inside the car, if it's sunny and the windows are rolled down. they are also very blocky or have a very solid texture to the stems and flowers

view from the top

this very pretty butterfly came along, but I didn't recognize it. if anyone
knows what species it is, feel free to let me know

a little further down the road in a drier spot of the roadside were a few
different forms of cernua that were older and the flowers were further along.
this one had unusual form, and the flowers were not developing very far
before they were showing signs of pollination, and most likely self-pollination

same spiranthes from above; the spirals are so tight that they look like three
ranks vertically

 

[Clark]

Busy clump!
I like the top view photo.

Many butterflies around here now.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Nice colony Charles. I'm sure it is sad to see the final native orchid flowers of the season - same thing here, once the Goodyera are done, flowering season is over 'til next spring.

I've noticed a lot of variation in Spiranthes sinensis as well, especially how the flowers are arranged on the spike. They can be lined up in a row on one side, or be in a very lose spiral or conversely, a very tight one. Interestingly, they are either "left or right handed" too - that appears to be genetically regulated, at least in S. spiralis. Most are "left handed" in that species, if memory serves.

 

[SlipperFan]

The butterfly looks like a Clouded Sulphur to me: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/clouded_sulphur.htm

 

[tonyw]

very nice to see,much taller and also earlier than S. autumnalis over here. Mine are just starting to show above ground

 

[cnycharles]

The butterfly looks like a Clouded Sulphur to me: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/clouded_sulphur.htm

thanks for the link. I checked it out and a few other links leading from that, and I think it's either an orange sulphur, or a hybrid of orange and yellow. the oranges are larger than the yellow ones. I think i've seen tons of the yellow sulphurs pretty much everywhere, and I think they are the ones whose caterpillars eat cabbages and things like that? they lay eggs on our ornamental cabbage/kale

Nice colony Charles. I'm sure it is sad to see the final native orchid flowers of the season - same thing here, once the Goodyera are done, flowering season is over 'til next spring.

yes, it's very sad. there are a few people who look around in the fall, looking for plants with seed pods which stretches out the season, but they are long months without a good reason to drive around and wander about the woods

 

[SlipperFan]

thanks for the link. I checked it out and a few other links leading from that, and I think it's either an orange sulphur, or a hybrid of orange and yellow. the oranges are larger than the yellow ones. I think i've seen tons of the yellow sulphurs pretty much everywhere, and I think they are the ones whose caterpillars eat cabbages and things like that? they lay eggs on our ornamental cabbage/kale...

I've always associated the Cabbage Butterfly, which is white, with egg-laying on cabbages:
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pieris-rapae

 

[NYEric]

Nice. i would like to try spiranthes cernau in the garden downstairs again.

 

[biothanasis]

Very nice!!!