Orchids

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hiking with my friends Tricia West and John Howard in Adams County, OH. We had lots of great botanical finds including four species of orchids.

Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium pubescens. We almost walked right by this beauty. This one has a double bloom.

A straight on shot. Its reddish sepals look almost like a weird wig.

Another favorite, Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule. Its delicate pink blossom reminds me of a ballerina's slippers.

An interesting tiny orchid, Spring Coralroot, Corallorhiza wisteriana, is only a few inches tall. These would be easy to miss, if one were not paying special attention!

And a personal favorite, Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis. Each year I look forward to finding these tiny wonders.

Here is a close-up of the flowers. They have such an interesting shape. So "spectabilis". What a name! It sounds like Daffy Duck trying to pronounce spectacular. It actually means "showy". One can't argue with that!