Orchids are funny, and a number of even botanists are obsessed by them. It is one of the largest families of flowering plants. Among the species of orchids found in here in Lincolnland they are described as "rare", "very rare", "uncommon", and one such plant has shown up in our gardens.
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The upper image shows the whole plant, all seven inches or it from a small whorl of slender basal leaves its terminal spike of white flowers. The lower image show the flowers a bit bigger, all of 2-3 mm long. This a Ladie' tresses orchid, the genus
Spiranthes probably
S. ovalis. This orchid is "not common" and it found our gardens' on its own. However such plants flowering here in september are easily over-looked, so quite inconspicuous, if not actually rare. It woes make TPP happy just to know it's there; 4 or 5 plants in a patch some foot in diameter. Oh did TPP mention that most orchids have quite small flowers of rather small plants. Enjoy.
1 comment:
It's a beautiful plant; thanks for the information. I see that its native range extends to SW Wisconsin and that it's a species of Special Concern here.
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