June 1998 North American Native Orchid Journal

NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE
ORCHID JOURNAL
______________________________________
Volume 4 June
Number 2 1998
a quarterly devoted to the orchids of North America
published by the
NORTH AMERICAN
NATIVE ORCHID ALLIANCE
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
IN THIS ISSUE:
The Pink Lady's-slipper in the Fragmented Forest of Central
Virginia
Orchid Hunting in Florida During January and February
Picture Perfect Orchids
What Ever Happened To All Those Spiranthes?!……..and
more!
ORCHID JOURNAL
(ISSN 1084-7332)
published quarterly in
March June September December
by the
NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHID ALLIANCE,
Inc.
a group dedicated to the conservation and promotion of our
native orchids
Editor: Paul Martin Brown

Assistant Editor: Nathaniel E. Conard
Editorial Consultants:
Philip E. Keenan
Stan Folsom
Production Assistant:
Nancy A. Webb
The Journal welcomes articles, of any length, of both a scientific

and general interest nature relating to the orchids of North
America. Scientific articles should conform to guidelines such as
those in Lindleyana or Rhodora. General interest articles and notes
may be more informal. Authors may include line drawings,
and/or black and white photographs. Color inserts may be
arranged. Please send all inquiries or material for publication to
the Editor at PO Box 772121, Ocala, FL 34477-2121 (mid June -
August: PO Box 759, Acton, ME 04001-0759).
1999 Membership in the North American Native Orchid Alliance,

which includes a subscription to the Journal, is $26 per year for
United States addresses, $29US in Canada and $32US other
foreign countries. Payment should be sent to Nancy A. Webb, 84
Etna St. Brighton, MA 02135-2830 USA. Claims for lost issues or
cancelled memberships should be made within 30 days.
ORCHID JOURNAL
Volume 4 June
Number 2 1998
CONTENTS
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
117
AMERORCHIS ROTUNDIFOLIA forma LINEATA

Shirley A. Curtis
119
THE PINK LADY'S-SLIPPER IN THE FRAGMENTED

FOREST OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Stephen R. Johnson
124
PICTURE PERFECT ORCHIDS

The Slow Empiricist
133
ORCHID HUNTING IN FLORIDA DURING JANUARY

AND FEBRUARY
M. J. Parsons
148
TRIFLING WITH TRIPHORA

AND SILLY OTHER CILIARIS
Tom Sampliner
157
NEW CHROMOSOME NUMBER DETERMINATIONS
IN PLATANTHERA
Charles J. Sheviak and Michelle Bracht
168
LOOKING FORWARD:
September 1988
173
FLORIDA’S DANCING LADY

Stan Folsom
174
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE

SPIRANTHES?!
Paul Martin Brown
181
Prepublication Announcement:
Wild Orchids Across North America
189
Unless otherwise credited, all drawings in this issue are by Stan Folsom
Color Plates:
1. p. 131 Amerorchis rotundifolia forma lineata; Cypripedium acaule
2. p. 132 Isotria verticillata
3. p. 179 Tolumnia bahamensis
4. p. 180 Sacoila lanceolata var. lanceolata; Sacoila lanceolata var.
paludicola
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 scientific content.
Volume 4, number 2, pages 117-190 ; issued June 10, 1998.
Copyright 1998 by the North American Native Orchid Alliance, Inc.
Cover: Platanthera praeclara by Stan Folsom
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
What a spring! Here in Florida is has one new
orchid after another every week. Some of the highlights
have included the two varieties of red ladies’-tresses –
Sacoila lanceolata and the var. paludicola from the
Fakahatchee Swamp, the dancing lady, Tolumnia
bahamense, and both spreading pogonias – Cleistes
divaricata and C. bifaria. And those are only a few!! I
hope many of you will plan to attend the conference
here in Florida next April.
This summers’ conference is jam packed with

both people and activities. It promises to be a great
time! For me, I will have an opportunity to meet so
many of you at last. Because of so many early
registrations there have been a few cancellations so there
is still some space left. If you are thinking of joining us -
don’t delay.
I am at the point of needing more articles to keep

the Journal interesting. Please consider writing about
your summers’ adventures or a favorite place or species.
The September issue of the Journal will contain

many of the papers given at the conference in
Minnesota.
117
I will be working at the herbarium at the Florida
Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida
for the next several years on a Florida Native Orchid
Project. Many interesting and exciting things are
planned around this program which, among other
things, will result in a full color field guide to the orchids
of Florida. The Museum is in the process of raising
money (both gifts and pledges) to finance this program.
If you or any organization you belong to is interested in
the project, please write me for a prospectus of the
project.
We will be back in Florida on September 1, so the

September issue should be out before the end of the
month.
Paul Martin Brown
Editor
Summer:
PO Box 759
Acton, Maine 04001-0759
207/636-3719
Sept – May:
PO Box 772121
Ocala, Florida 34477-2121
352/861-2565
E-mail: naorchid@aol.com
118
Curtis: AMERORCHIS ROTUNDIFOLIA
forma LINEATA
AMERORCHIS ROTUNDIFOLIA
forma LINEATA
Shirley A. Curtis
Amerorchis rotundifolia is an attractive but rare

orchid. It grows in cold, calcareous fens where black
spruce, tamarack, northern white cedar and balsam fir
are the dominant trees. In Canada and Alaska where
there are a lot of cold, evergreen forests it grows more
abundantly. Its common name is small round-leaved
orchis, or one-leaf orchis.
Other common plants growing with it are

Labrador tea, twinflower, heart-leaved twaybade,
Listera cordata, blunt-leaved orchid, Platanthera obtusata,
showy lady’s-slipper, Cypripedium reginae, large and
northern small yellow lady's-slippers, C. parviflorum var.
pubescens and C. parviflorum var. makasin, and bog false
Solomon’s seal.
The Amerorchis flower is pinkish, and the lip is

white, 3-lobed, spotted with purple. Some people call it
the freckle face orchid, an appropriate name. It has
119
forma LINEATA
several forms but the most interesting to me is the forma

lineata that differs from the typical by having two broad,
purplish stripes on the lip. Years ago, I found a small
book called The Orchids of the Cypress Hills. The
introduction said nowhere in the Prairie Provinces can
one find a greater diversity of orchids than in the
Cypress Hills, which straddle the border between Alberta
and Saskatchewan. It said the most common and
abundant orchid there was the eastern fairy slipper,
Calypso bulbosa, so I knew I wanted to go there someday.
The vegetation of the Cypress Hills is composed mainly
of grassland and forest. But there are no cypress trees.
French-Canadian explorers mistakenly thought the
lodgepole pine of these hills was their ―cypres‖, the jack
pine of eastern Canada, so they named these hills
Cypress Hills. Amerorchis rotundifolia grows in Cypress
Hills.
In 1993, on our way to Alaska we stopped there

for several days. We saw about 2,000 Calypso, and after
much exploration and hints from the Park staff we were
able to locate the elusive Amerorchis and met two local
botanists while exploring the site. We saw several
hundred regular plants and 25-35 of the forma lineata
plants. This striped variety was once thought to occur
only in the Cypress Hills but has been discovered in
Ontario and Banff National Park.
While we were in Alaska we visited a site at Eklutna

Lake. We found about 200 Amerorchis, none of the
120
forma LINEATA
Amerorchis rotundifolia
Small round-leafed orchis
121
forma LINEATA
forma lineata, but several of them had large blotches of

purple color instead of the typical small dots.
Last June, Paul Martin Brown called me to say a

friend of his had just returned from the Oompah
bog/fen in Oompah, Ontario where he had seen about
500 Amerorchis with 200+ of the forma lineata. We were
leaving in two days for a trip to the Bruce Peninsula, so
we decided visiting the Ompah bog/fen could be
worked into that trip. Paul gave me the name of the
man who owns the fen; I called and received permission
to go into the fen. We found about 300-400 plants
scattered over a large area, with about 150 of them being
the forma lineata. These were growing right among the
regular ones. The common ones, however, included
spots that were fewer and larger than typical, as well as a
mixture of large spots on one side of the lip with a single
stripe on the other side. Some had large blotches of
color. The spots on each flower are different, they do
not have the same pattern, but they do not have the
small dots either as the regular Amerorchis do. There are
other areas within a few miles of this fen that have the
regular Amerorchis, but not the forma lineata.
Blooming at the same time as the Amerorchis in

Ompah bog were many other orchids. Among those in
bloom were showy lady's-slippers, yellow lady's-
slippers, heart-leaved twayblade, early coralroot,
Corallorhiza trifida, and northern green bog orchis,
Platanthera hyperborea. There were other plants blooming
including twinflowers, cotton grass and Labrador tea.
122
forma LINEATA
The broad-leaved helleborine orchid, Epipactis

helleborine, was in bud, and there were several orchid
plants in an area all by themselves that had not budded.
They appeared to be lady's-slippers, but I couldn’t
identify them.
In 1993, on that same trip to Alaska, we stopped

at Banff on the way home. We found many Amerorchis in
a near-by fen. Although they were mostly through
blooming, we found several white-flowered plants, the
forma beckettiae. We are going back to this area this
summer and I’ll look for more.
Shirley A. Curtis, 278 Baer Rd., Rollinsford, NH 03869

Shirley and her husband Cory travel extensively throughout northern North
America searching for our wild orchids. They have written about purple
fringed orchids in Newfoundland in the September 1997 issue of the Journal.
123
Johnson: Cypripedium acaule
THE PINK LADY'S-SLIPPER IN THE

FRAGMENTED FOREST OF CENTRAL
VIRGINIA
Stephen R. Johnson
In the region of central Virginia surrounding the

State Capitol, urbanization has been steadily increasing
since the close of the Second World War, but the pace
has dramatically increased in the last twenty years. True
natural areas in this region are rare, but Richmond and
the contiguous counties have established several parks
where a semblance of wildness exists. Some of these
parks include Rockwood, a county park in Chesterfield
County, southeast of the city limits; and Crump, in
Henrico County, west of the city. Pocahontas State
Forest near Chester, Virginia is just a few miles south of
Richmond.
Each of these parks has a large area consigned for

human use with athletic fields, jogging paths and cleared
hiking trails. These trails go through forests that are not
by any measure pristine, but they do resemble a more
natural habitat. This part of Central Virginia has upland
forests dominated by white oak, Quercus alba, with a
minor mixture of northern red oak, Q. rubra, southern
red oak, Q. falcata, post oak, Q. stellata, and several
124
species of hickory, Carya sp. and beech, Fagus grandifolia.

These uplands also have some large stands of scrub pine,
Pinus virginiana, or loblolly, P. taeda. Much of the land
beneath this forest is mesic and dominated by lowland
trees such as red maple, Acer rubrum, sweetgum,
Liquidambar styraciflua, and tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera.
The understory is typically acidic and nutrient poor and
dominated by sparse stands of blueberry, Vaccinium sp.
and blackberry Rubus sp.
Beneath the white oaks the ground is covered by a

thick layer of fallen leaves and leaf mold and is generally
free of short-statured perennial vegetation. Most plants
there are either young oak trees (white or red), or
blueberries. If you inspect the understory of this upland
forest in late May, you may be treated to an inspiring
show of pink lady's-slippers, Cypripedium acaule. These
orchids were probably very common in pre-colonial
Virginia and, in the more recent past, they were more
common in the parks.
If you take some time to observe where these pink

lady's-slippers grow, you'll notice that they inhabit
many areas that have bright but diffuse sunlight.
Because of this preference for high light, they tend to
establish themselves near cleared paths and roadways.
For example, in Rockwood Park, I had observed a very
large population of pink lady's-slippers (of perhaps 50
plants) under white oaks, in an area near the entrance to
the park. This area was bordered by a highway to the
south and by entrance or access roads on the other sides.
I was rather delighted to find this population in 1986. I
125
was equally dismayed but not exactly surprised to find

that it was completely exterminated by 1997.
The remaining population of pink lady's-slippers

in Rockwood numbered 39 individuals in 1997. I have
analyzed reproductive effort in this population by
monitoring fruit production among the plants from 1990
through 1997. In 1991 and again in 1992 only 5 plants
produced fruits. In 1993 and 1994 no plants produced
fruit and in 1995 only one plant succeeded in ripening a
fruit. In 1996, only 3 plants were successful. Then in
1997, an amazing 28% of the population (11 plants)
were successful in completing the fruiting process. This
increase may have been related to the unseasonably cool
and moist spring in Central Virginia in 1997. This may
have been directly beneficial to the plants or had some
effect on the local populations of the pollinators (Radis,
1997).
These orchids have an amazing list of

requirements that must be fulfilled before either seed
germination or successful seedling establishment takes
place. While I didn't investigate all of the myriad of
potentialities, I was intrigued by a note in The Smithsonian
Guide to Seaside Plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coast
(Duncan and Duncan, 1987) that said pink lady's-
slippers grew in association with the roots of pine trees.
I have seen it on the Virginia barrier Islands, part of the
DelMarVa (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) Peninsula,
where the maritime forest is composed predominantly of
loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, but how could this relationship
126
between a long-lived orchid and its progeny continue

inland where pine forests are replaced by oak?
To try and answer this question, I made many

observations of pink lady's-slippers in Rockwood,
Crump, and Pocahontas in 1995. In each of these parks
there are many and sometimes large populations of
pines, chiefly loblolly. In Rockwood, many but not all of
the old loblolly sentinels are dead, while white oaks
thrive. I measured their distance to the nearest tree of
25" dbh (diameter at breast height). Here, pink lady's-
slippers grew beneath pines, sometimes at the base, but
more often at a distance of 0.5 to 1 meter away. Digging
beside the pink lady's-slipper often (in 8 cases out of
the total 10) revealed a large root that originated at the
pine. Three juveniles were even growing partially on the
exposed surface of a pine root. The other 11 orchids
were growing in association with white oak. Most were
between 1 and 2 meters from the trees' base. Five were
growing in clear association with an oak root. At Crump
Park, the association between pink lady's-slippers and
white oaks was even more evident. There, out of 54
distinct observations of orchid plants and distances to
25" dbh trees, the vast majority (63%) grew within 2
meters of a pine tree. Of these 34 plants, 17 were
growing in direct contact with a pine root. In Crump,
the association with white oak seemed much clearer.
Thirty three percent (18 plants) were growing at an
average distance of 0.23 meters away from a white oak.
A row of 6 plants were found growing along a single,
exposed, white oak root in a linear array, with the largest
127
plant closer to the tree trunk and the smallest (assumed

youngest) at the farthest extremity of the root.
At Pocahontas State Forest, I eventually found a

population of these orchids in a newly cleared forest gap.
Most of the 29 orchids spotted were close to (within 0-
1.5 m) pine stumps. The felled trees lay all around
except in the cleared trail. Where these orchids had
experienced bright diffuse light on the trail beneath the
pines, they now suffered from the intense direct sunlight.
Two plants were clearly dying (showing tissue necrosis)
and about 25% (8 plants) were chlorotic, a clear
symptom of damage due to the radically increased light
intensity. In my judgement, these plants were growing in
association with the pines. The dominant tree remaining
in the area was southern red oak. I have not seen this
population since 1995, but based on my observations of
orchids in the county parks which associated in a few
circumstances with southern red oak (Rockwood) or
post oak (Crump), I can imagine that some members of
the population may have adjusted.
128
Cypripedium acaule
pink lady’s-slipper
129
My observations do suggest that the pink lady's-

slipper does associate with the roots of loblolly pine,
and also, though to a lesser degree, they associate with
the roots of oaks, predominantly white oak. The great
degree of association with pine and the lesser one with
oaks leads me to speculate that the association between
pine and pink lady's-slipper is somehow more
beneficial to this orchid than is the benefit from the
association with the oaks. But this appreciable degree of
association between orchid and oak leads me to a larger
speculation. I can imagine that the pink lady's-slipper
is very common in a pine-dominated forest, but as it
gives way to oaks the orchids, in smaller numbers,
persevere. These oak-associated orchids then form small
populations that shed seeds to continue establishing
plants near the oaks. But eventually a storm, or insect
damage, and more commonly man, topples the oaks and
the pines return. From the orchids that persisted with
the oaks, seeds are shed to colonize and form a larger
population in the new forest of pine. This would form a
long cycle of persistence as sure as the cycle of seasons.
References
Duncan, W. H. and M. B. Duncan. 1987. The Smithsonian Guide to
Seaside Plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts from Louisiana to
Massachusetts, Exclusive of Lower Peninsular Florida.
Smithsonian Institute Press, Washington D.C. 409 p.
Radis, R. 1997. Exalted vegetables. North American Native Orchid
Journal 3: 453-471.
Stephen R. Johnson, Ph.D., Central College, Pella, Iowa 50219
Stephen last wrote for the Journal in December of 1996
concerning Orchids of Louisiana’s Cajon Prairie.
130
Amerorchis rotundifolia
forma lineata
small round-leaved
orchis
lined-lipped form
Ontario, Canada
S.A. Curtis
Cypripedium acaule
pink lady's-slipper
NF P.M. Brown
131
Critique of Isotria verticillata photograph.
The focal point or center of the blossom occurs at the

point of the golden oblong diagonal and right angle
intersecting. The contrast of light and dark focuses the
viewer’s eye on the plant. The linear aspects of the
background literally point the eye towards the center of the
blossom. The plant roughly adheres to a triangular outline
creating a stable pose. The complicated background has been
blurred to enhance rather than compete with the complicated
floral subject. The only negative criticism is that the dark
background obscures some of the darker sepals at the top of
the Isotria.
132
132
132
Empiricist: Picture Perfect Orchids
PICTURE PERFECT ORCHIDS
The Slow Empiricist
Many amateur photographers have trouble

composing their pictures in a satisfying manner.
When they look at professional works they may feel
even more inadequate. Since I am not a
photographer but a fine artist, I cannot help you
with the technical problems that you might
encounter in picture taking. I can, however, help
you with the artistic end of photography. For
technical problems, I suggest consulting other
photographers, joining a photography club where
you can find support and answers, or, if they are
available near you, try taking some photography
courses.
Before this article can help you create more

satisfying results you need to do some analyzing of your
own ideas as to what constitutes a terrific photograph.
You should think what it is you want your pictures to
show. Some nature photographers are interested in
showing the orchid plants exactly as they occur in the
wild. They would never use artificial methods like
putting a blocking screen behind their subject so the
133
plant stands out by itself. Flash photography is anathema

to them, also. Other photographers employ these
methods because they like to see dramatic shots as in the
case of flash, or they want the orchid to be seen in an
uninterrupted view as when they use some kind of
blocking techniques.
As you ponder what is important to you in

creating satisfying photos, however, please keep in mind
your own unique talents and personality. When I was
just starting out to create artistic paintings, I often saw
works by other artists that I thought were simply
incredibly executed. I felt amateurish and awkward and I
longed to produce work in a similar manner as my idols
were producing. It took me awhile to learn to appreciate
my own talents and stop trying to emulate someone
else's work who brought a whole different set of skills to
their projects. I guess what I am advising you to be
cognizant of is for you to know yourself well enough.
Do you have the personality to spend several hours in a
cramped position waiting to catch an elusive pollinator
for the particular orchid you are photographing? Or are
you more spontaneous? Don't moon over the fact that
you are not the patient type who can wait for endless
hours to capture a photographic moment that impresses
you when you see someone else's stunning photograph
that captures such an elusive moment. You have a
different talent to exploit! You should be trying to find
subjects that satisfy your different mindset and skills.
I learned a long time ago that if you are not true

to yourself, the veneer that you try to coat your honest
134
self with is only a cheap imitation of the real thing. You

have interests, talents and skills that can be enhanced
and should be developed. Don't try to be someone else!
It's an exercise in futility, to my way of thinking, and you
are worth a lot more than being a carbon copy. If you
agree that trying to copy someone else's style is still only
an imitation of the real thing; you can begin to improve
your own style and talent.
Now that you won't be trying to achieve the

impossible for your skills and interests, let's look at the
elements that you might be able to employ to make your
photos look more professional. Usually a superb
photograph has certain artistic qualities as well as the
photographic techniques that the creator employed.
These are the things my art experiences might help you
recognize and put to use in your photography sessions.
These include the compositional qualities, the textural
qualities, the spatial relationships within the picture
plane as well as color, line and the play of light and
dark. It isn't easy to employ all these characteristics
when you are still feeling your way with your camera. It
might be better to concentrate on one element at a time
until you have mastered it.
Learning to use artistic tools is like learning to

dance! First, when you start dancing lessons you are so
concerned with where to place your feet that you move
like a robot. Then, as you become more knowledgeable
you move more gracefully until the action becomes a
part of you and is effortless. Then you are really dancing,
not just moving your feet in predetermined patterns. So,
135
too, when you are first aware of the elements of art and
you start to employ them in your photo shoots, you will
be slower and less sure of what you are doing.
At this point in your exercise you should have

been thinking about what pictures have really caught
your eye and you should have come to some
understanding of what you would like to accomplish
with your picture-taking. Once you have isolated the
kind of work that you think is so great (if it fits with your
way of working) you should then be able to apply some
of those aforementioned compositional and artistic tools
to enhance your own work. You will then be able to find
your own voice, making your photos speak clearly for
you.
I would like to take you through some rough ideas

about each of the artistic elements that can help improve
your work. We'll start with the element of composition.
Composition
Composition is the process of selecting the

arrangement of the parts of your picture. When you are
looking through the viewfinder you do not have to settle
for the first head-on shot that you espy. You can move
the camera around to achieve your desired goal. Here are
some good rules of thumb to keep in mind as you sight
for the perfect composition.
1. Uneven numbers are more dynamic than even

numbers. Example: A shot with one flowering stem is
136
usually more effective than two stems. Three is better

than two are. Take this little test! Hold your hand at
arm's length in front of you. Hold up one finger. You
look at the finger! Hold up two fingers separated like a V
and you look in between at the space. The same thing
happens with the two stems of your orchids if they are
separated. If you can move around so the two stems
overlap somewhat you can eliminate the vacant space
that takes away from your main focus, making them
seem more like one. With three stems the focus tends to
occur on the central flower. (Examples 1 & 2)
2. Focal points. The second tip concerns where

you wish to concentrate the main focal point in your
composition. Dead-on-center placement can make the
picture very stable but it may rob the plant of vitality.
When you are sighting through your viewfinder observe
the outer boundaries of your subject. Again, try moving
the focal point slightly to one side or the other. It might
make the orchid come alive instead of just looking like it
was stuck in the picture.
137
138
3. The golden oblong. There is a trick that

some artists use to place the most important object
within the picture plane in a dynamic spot. Picture in
your mind a diagonal from upper right hand corner to
the lower left-hand corner of your photograph, or vice-
versa. Now attach an imaginary line that runs from the
unused corner that bisects the diagonal at right angles.
The line may emanate from either unused corner. The
intersection represents one of the ideal spots to locate
the main object of your composition. This is called the
golden oblong! It works better with more rectangular
picture shapes than the size of a photographic slide but it
will help you get away from always centering your focal
points. (Diagram 1)
Spatial relationships
Every picture can be divided up into areas. The

relationship these areas have to one another constitutes
their spatial relationship. Backgrounds can overwhelm
a subject if the relationship is too great. A subject can
overwhelm the background if it usurps too much room
in the picture. Most commonly, you are dealing with the
appearance of spaces that occur around the main focal
points. When you are setting up your photographic
shot, as you look through your viewfinder, check out the
surrounding sizes of the background areas. If they
appear to be even in size you will have a stable
background to display your subject against. This is a
balancing act and shifting the subject within the picture
139
plane can affect the balance. Sometimes it is more

dynamic to have uneven spatial relationships because
they will compete more aggressively with the subject and
create tension within the picture plane.
Line
You have the element of line to work with in

your composition. Line leads the viewer's eye through
the picture. Sometimes poorly composed pictures have
lines that point the viewer right out of the picture and
the subject becomes lost in the eye's quick exit. There
are many linear things in orchids you can use to direct
the viewer's eye. Successful artists use line to make the
viewer travel through their pictures in a pleasant journey,
stopping at the points of interest. Everyone starts at
some point in the picture plane to see what the picture
holds. How cleverly the artist keeps the viewer moving
can enhance both the experience and the import of the
picture.
Plants have stems, which are very linear in nature.

They also have shapes that can point, like leaf-shapes
that are triangular, which can point almost like an arrow
to direct your eye. Just to add to the mix, some leaves are
more linear and some are definitely circular. Some
orchids have definitely linear floral parts like the
sweeping sepals of the large whorled pogonia, Isotria
verticillata (Plate 2., pg. 132). Try to assess what directions
these components of your orchid are emphasizing within
the picture plane. If the dominant lines are directing
140
your eye out of the picture they will surely do the same
for anyone who views the resulting photograph.
Playing with the linear aspects of your picture

takes time and skill to successfully master. It will mean
really weighing the possibilities and also being aware of
the significance of this element to detract from your
main focus.
Shapes
Simple shapes are the easiest to work with.

Orchids, however, are far from simple to look at because
of their myriad qualities. That is probably why you like
to photograph them.
The simple shapes are geometric like the square,

rectangle, circle, triangle and oval. If the main mass of
your subject fits any of these simple shapes you will have
a stable subject unless the triangular shape is inverted on
its point or any of the other straight-edged shapes are
slanted. Then your objects will look out of kilter,
crooked, or tipping to one side of the picture. If you line
up the vertical axis (the imaginary line that traverses the
object centrally from top to bottom) with the edge of
your viewfinder you can avoid having slightly misaligned
focal points that impart a drunken
141
142
characteristic to your specimens. Since most floral

subjects don't stand at attention, an easy solution is to
balance the vertical axis so that equal parts occur on
each side of the straight line. That way you won't have
so much weight pulling your subject off to one side or
the other, but will have a natural balance occurring in
your result. You can also create a more dynamic balance
by employing the golden oblong principle as your
vertical axis point of origin.
Now you have to assess the shapes that exist

within your main subject matter. Are the blossoms
circular? Are they irregular? Does the mass of the basal
rosette (if there is one) appear to be circular or irregular?
What about the leaves? You will have to make decisions
as to how these shapes affect your overall picture. A
morass of irregular shapes can confuse the picture and
make it difficult to enjoy. On the other hand, a dearth of
irregularity in any part may impart a deadly look to the
subject. If you take the time to study the subject and
look at the possibilities that exist, you will begin to know
how you want to finally set up your camera. The
placement may change to take advantage of what the
shapes tell your composing mind. Remember, try not to
let the shapes make your picture top heavy or pull your
eye too far to one side so that your eye leaves the picture
before it has seen the entire thing. (Example 3)
Color
Color is one of the easier elements to use to

compose your picture. The warmer colors, red, orange
143
and yellow are advancing colors and bound toward the

front of the picture plane. The cooler colors, green, blue
and violet, do the opposite and recede into the
background. That may be why you have trouble
photographing little green orchids like the green
adder's mouth, Malaxis unifolia. Busy surface colors that
can occur in highly colored or decorated floral parts like
the dragon's mouth orchid, Arethusa bulbosa, will
compete for attention in the picture as much as the shy
M. unifolia recedes into obscurity. Keeping in mind the
characteristics of the colors of the orchid you are
working with may help you to use them effectively.
Just as too much irregularity of shape may

overwhelm your photograph, too much of one color
may wrap your picture in dull fog where the subject is
lost. When there is little in the way of color difference
you may have to use value to make your subject have
some life of its own. Shafts of sunlight that illuminate
the plant, or that play in the background, can introduce
the contrast that may be lacking.
When there is so much color contending for the

viewer's attention, you may find it expedient to zoom in
on a single element like one stem and blossom rather
than trying to photograph the entire clump.
Texture
Texture is the look of the surface of the objects.

You are working with such things as smooth, shiny,
woolly, rough, and so on. Natural backgrounds often
144
give the appearance of being complicated and confusing.

All the lines, shapes and textures can compete with
your main emphasis. This is where you have to decide
how important the background elements are going to be.
Some texture can add interest and life to your picture,
but too much can make it look like one of those 1,000
piece jigsaw puzzles that have so much occurring you
have trouble focusing on one part of the picture. You
may want to use blocking devises like a plain background
sheet to set up behind your subject to simplify the
picture. Or you may want to do a little forest clean up
(so long as you don't endanger the orchid by removing
too much natural material) to make your subject stand
out better.
Texture adds an interesting dimension to the

photograph, but a little can go a long way. Using
common sense can help you avoid overloading the
picture with confusing textural elements. A beautiful
woman would not bedeck herself with all the jewelry she
owns, nor would a handsome man deck himself in all his
jewelry to make his beauty stand out. Both attempts
would look silly as well as confounding the eye of the
beholder. There are camera techniques that can soft-
focus out some of the confusing textures that naturally
occur and let the main focal point stand out. Close-up
techniques, which bring the subject much nearer, also
can reduce the confusion of too much background
texture.
145
Dark and Light

Dark and light areas in your picture can play a
very dramatic part in the final look of your subject. A
picture taken with flash creates some highly dramatic
shots because the backgrounds often become completely
black and that makes the subject jump out of the picture
plane at the viewer. If you like to use the natural light of
the sun as it comes through the overhanging canopy of
trees (if you have a woodland orchid subject) you can
create some stunning visual effects. A good rule of
thumb is that lighter objects contrast against darker
objects, and vice versa. The shapes of the light and dark
areas can direct the eye toward your main focal point just
like any other shape can.
To sum up what I have tried to impart to you
about perfecting your photographic artistry, here are the
keys. Be aware of the number of focal points you are
photographing, and try to manipulate them so they don't
compete. Uneven numbers work in simplifying
compositional elements. If you can get the floral part
of the orchid to occur at the point of the golden
oblong you may have created a dynamic picture that
places the subject in an ideal location in the picture
plane. Learning to control the spatial relationships that
occur will bring balance to the photograph. If the
linear aspects lead the viewer's eye on a journey through
the entire picture plane you are another step toward
perfection. If you have kept your subject's mass within a
reasonably simple shape you may have added more
expertise to the photograph. Playing with the shapes to
give balance to them will stabilize your final result.
146
Finally, what you have done with the color and textural
elements and the play of light and dark add the grace
notes to your final work of art. There is a lot to be
learned and it won't come in a few attempts so I wish
you the perseverance to keep on trying. As a parting
shot, the truly innovative artist can thumb his/her nose
at these "rules" and create stunning, imaginative pieces
of artwork that open new avenues for expression that
lesser lights never thought could happen. I suspect there
are photographers out there who can do the very same
thing.
The Slow Empiricist
147
Parsons: Orchid Hunting in Florida
ORCHID HUNTING IN FLORIDA

DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
M. J. Parsons
I am known as a snowbird, as I visit Florida each

year normally during January and February. I come
from England and stay usually between two and six
weeks trying to capture the Sunshine State's beautiful
weather. I come with my wife, mother and father-in-law
and sometimes a few friends. I am an orchidophile, and
have visited many sites in Great Britain and Europe and
have also travelled as far as Turkey and Israel in the East
and the Canary Islands in the West.
As I know that Florida has over 120 species of

orchids I thought that finding them would be a
doddle—how wrong I was! The climate at this time of
year is similar to spring in southern Europe, where it is
quite easy to find many species of orchids at one site, but
this it seems is not the case in Florida. I soon found out
that there are very few species that flower at this time of
the year and the ones that do flower are, it appears, fairly
rare. Of course, there are a few epiphytes that do flower
at this time of the year. Although some species flower
during the whole year, they are far up in the trees and it
is hard for the inexperienced eye to decipher the genus
148
from the leaves, especially when the orchid is not in

flower. So where does one start?
First of all it is not easy to look along roadsides, as

it is strangely very difficult to park, mainly owing to the
Florida roadside restrictions. However, there is one
orchid that seems to be ubiquitous and is easily found in
January. This orchid is Zeuxine strateumatica, also known
as the lawn orchid, which originated from Asia and
seems to be spreading rapidly. Like many alien species,
and not unlike our European Epipactis helleborine, the
broad-leaved helleborine, it has no known predators at
the present time and seems to rapidly spread if the
conditions are right. I first found the lawn orchid,
funny enough, at Universal Studios and photographed it,
with much disgust from my children, who thought I was
showing them up!! Later, I even found it in my own
lawn in my garden, sorry, back yard! I have since seen it
everywhere. The orchid looks a little like Spiranthes, with
the brown colouring similar to Orchis collina from
Europe.
The lawn orchid was found on my first trip to

Florida, and finding it difficult to find other orchids, I
turned to other plant species and the beautiful birds of
Florida. The second year I managed to find the toothed
habenaria, Habenaria odontopetala, (a tall green orchid),
strangely enough in a wood just outside Orchid World, a
commercial place which has many tropical orchids.
Once I knew what it looked like I began to find it
everywhere: Lake Dorr, Gemini Recreation site, and
Merritt Island. I realised the reason I was just finding
149
the orchid now was because I had arrived during a cold

spell and the orchid was in bloom still in January and
February. I understand the best time for flowering is in
December.
The third year I came to Florida was in March and

I saw one early ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes praecox, at
Corkscrew Wildlife Sanctuary and the grass-leaved
ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes vernalis, in the Everglades. I
found many other orchid leaves, but unfortunately none
in flower, such as wild coco, Eulophia alta, the pale-
flowered polystachya, Polystachya concreta, and the
Florida clam-shell orchid, Prosthechea cochleata var.
triandra. There could have been many others but I was
not experienced enough to put a name to them. At last I
was seeing some other orchids in flower, but still I had a
long way to go to see over 100 orchids. I wondered,
"Where do they hide!"
The fourth year I visited many state parks, but I found

that there were very few rangers that knew anything
about the plants. It seems that most rangers are
employed for security rather than their knowledge of the
wildlife. On visiting Corkscrew Wildlife Sanctuary I at
last found somebody who knew a little about orchids,
who told me that there was only one species in bloom,
being the shadow-witch orchid, Ponthieva racemosa. I was
then told that I could not visit the area, as there was no
one available to escort me. I said that was no problem if
they gave me directions but I was then informed that I
was not allowed to go because of the pygmy rattlesnakes
in the area, and they did not want to lose any customers!!
150
Fortunately they told me a good site for burrowing owls

nearby which compensated for the lack of orchids.
In the fourth year, however, I did manage to find

Ponthieva racemosa with an unusual raceme, and Wister's
coralroot, Corallorhiza wisteriana, a yellowish/brown
coralroot orchid in Highlands Hammock State Park.
Now orchid hunting was looking a little better, but I still
had a long way to go.
My fifth year was my best, I joined the North

American Native Orchid Alliance and got in touch with Paul
Martin Brown and Stan Folsom, who were staying in
Florida at the same time as myself. We arranged to visit
Highlands together, and we saw more of the orchids
mentioned previously. We were mainly looking for
Eltroplectris calcarata, the spurred neottia, but had no
luck. Paul pointed out several epiphytes in the trees—the
green-fly orchis, Epidendrum conopseum, the Florida
butterfly orchid, Encyclia tampensis, which I then realised
I had seen in Myakka State Park and Kissimee State
Park. Paul also pointed out the leafless Harrisella,
Harrisella porrecta, on an orange tree exactly in the same
place as Luer described in his book.
151
Corallorhiza wisteriana
Wister’s coralroot
152
Listera australis
Southern twayblade
153
Spiranthes praecox
Giant ladies’-tresses
154
Unfortunately none of these species were in flower.

However, we did find a good site on the way to
Highlands in a spot where a small housing estate was
meant to be built. Thank goodness, it had not been
constructed! In the ditches were many water spider
orchids, Habenaria repens, in flower. This species
apparently flowers during the whole year and seems to
be more of an aquatic orchid.
Since that day, on Paul's advice, I visited another

good site near Belleview, for Corallorhiza wisteriana, where
there could be over a thousand. If mosquitoes are the
pollinators to this orchid then no wonder that this
orchid was abundant! I then found speckled ladies'-
tresses, Cyclopogon cranichoides, in Alexander Springs State
Park, but only in bud, and the many-flowered ladies'-
tresses, Mesadenus polyanthus, near Floral City in Citrus
County. Both these species had previously been listed
under Spiranthes, and the latter, which was in flower,
looked like a cross between Spiranthes and Coralroot. I
was very pleased to find this orchid, especially as the first
plant I found was in prime condition and had over 50
florets. In the book it is described as only having
between 10 and 40 florets, which proved more or less
correct with the rest of the colony, which were several
yards from my prime flower. The only other orchid
found was the southern twayblade, Listera australis,
which was found in the city limits of Gainesville. This
orchid was just as difficult to find as the heart-leaved
twayblade, Listera cordata, especially as it was hiding
among a colony of ferns. This orchid was just as pretty
155
and I was fortunate to have a green and purple orchid

next to one another.
It looks that if orchid hunting is to progress in the

early months then I must visit the Fakahatchee Strand
State Preserve. Although over 30 species can be seen in
a day, the area could well be under water and walking
would involve wading from boot level to waist deep. Of
course, that is not the only problem, tangled
undergrowth, snakes, sleeping alligators, mosquitoes, as
well as getting disorientated, have to be taken into
account but I have a few months yet to plan my next trip
to Florida.
M. J. Parsons, 14 Chestnut Avenue, Billericay, Essex CM12 9JF,

England.
156
Sampliner: Triphora and Ciliaris
TRIFLING WITH TRIPHORA

AND SILLY OTHER CILIARIS
Tom Sampliner
Billowy cumulus clouds chased each other across

a blue sky on Wednesday, August 6th, 1997. It was a
perfect day for August, or any other month for that
matter. Temperature was in the 70's with both gentle
breezes and low humidity, a rare combination during our
summers in Ohio. In response to a last-minute
invitation from fellow Native Orchid Alliance member
Clete Smith of Pittsburgh, I was to drive there for a
rendezvous and join an expedition to known sites for the
three birds orchid, Triphora trianthophora and the yellow
fringed orchid, Platanthera ciliaris, with prospects for
others.
Our destination was Norton, West Virginia with

another Alliance member, Dr. Doug Jolly, who would
join us at Weston, West Virginia. These areas are some
that time has gently passed by, keeping changes to
modest proportions. Knowing how Clete works from a
one-half day I had spent with him, I was thankful the
muse of sleep had been kind and generous the night
before this trip. I knew full well my companions would
use every second of available light in the field.
157
Specifically, that would mean dinner at 8-9 P.M., locally,

followed by the drive back to Pittsburgh where I would
retrieve my car. That would leave me at midnight or
later to commence my lonely ride home. Bet I surprised
my three cats with an arrival at 2:30 A.M. Are we orchid
hunters crazy or what?
Back to the pleasant, descriptive portion of

this article. A drive south of Pittsburgh into West
Virginia is scenic anytime. Rounded rolling hills fill
your field of vision. Mists and low clouds seem to
play a constant game of tag with the mountains.
Those puffy, white clouds bouncing along provide
fascinating contrasts with the bands of green
vegetation and the purple of the mountains. You
wish you could stop to enjoy and photograph so
many passing scenes. Time, however, on a journey
such as this, permits no such luxury.
At Weston, we bid adieu to I-79 and headed east

along Rt. 33 to reach the Norton area. It was there that
I was to make my first acquaintance with the habitat and
the plant, the three birds orchid. The habitat was
mixed woods generously strewn with boulders of all
different sizes, each liberally covered with ferns, mosses
and mushrooms. E.T. could have appeared at any
moment. The forest was second growth; however, a
curious local informed us that tree rustlers were a
problem. Apparently our professed interest in
wildflowers, rather than trees, satisfied the concerned
inquiry.
158
Perhaps the most common ground cover was

violets in fruit. Also frequent were the multiple-tiered
fruiting stalks of Indian cucumber root, Medeola virginica.
Rhododendrons told of great beauty earlier in the
season. The most prolific groups of Triphora were
adjacent to the dirt road. One may conclude that
disturbance is helpful to this species. According to the
historical perspective supplied by my knowledgeable
companions, blooming for this species has proven
notoriously fickle. Unfortunately, our visit was to prove
premature to catch these orchids in bloom. Those we
were to see this date were still in rather tight bud. Too
bad, as we saw clusters of 15-25 which would have made
impressive pictures.
We all agreed that once you actually see the habitat

for a species it becomes far easier to pick out growing
plants no matter at what stage of growth. It was striking
how each of the several sites we visited could have
passed as mirror images of each other. I should add that
in addition to the boulders, there were penetrations of
various rock formations extending as ledges. Walking
around can be quite an adventure.
159
Triphora trianthophora
three birds’ orchid
160
Platanthera peramoena
Purple fringeless orchid
161
Goodyera pubescens
downy rattlesnake orchis
162
Platanthera ciliaris
orange fringed orchid
163
Each site did have liberal doses of the rattlesnake

plantain orchid, Goodyera pubescens. A number were in
full bloom. The reticulated leaves make an attractive
ground cover. Ferns and mushrooms were everywhere.
On our way to our last hope for three birds in

bloom this day, we passed a roadside open area laden
with blueberries and many old field favorites. Now I
don't know about you, but I wouldn't normally equate
species like Queen Ann's lace, Daucus carota, purple
clover, Trifolium pratense, common St. John's-wort,
Hypericum perforatum, tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica and
dewberries, Rubus flagellaris, with orchids. I am more apt
to think of orchids when some less common species
such as: spotted wintergreen, Chimiphila maculata, big
bluestem, Andropogon gerardi, and that attractive tree
member of the Ericaceae, sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum,
add their presence to the site. However, I am now a
believer, as this was not only my first view of the yellow
fringed orchid, Platanthera ciliaris, in bloom, but it was
plentiful and clearly in peak bloom. Many plants were at
least 12" high and of so bright an orange that they
literally jump out of the road sides at you.
As we walked among them, Doug was the first to

spot yellow bartonia, Bartonia virginica, exhibiting small
yellow racemes, very stiff and erect, and its opposite
leaves. The yellow fringed orchid grew from the sandy
openings into the woodland. At one spot the ground
rapidly descended into what obviously was a coal scrape.
Even down there the Platanthera ciliaris had penetrated.
164
I concluded that disturbance was agreeable to this

species. The orange/green color combination is striking;
even more so is the image obtained when you isolate a
floret filling the frame through a macro lens. This site
reminds me of many portions of our oak openings.
Curiously enough, that is northern Ohio's only current
site for this orchid. Perhaps this harkens back to the
thought that a mental image of the type of habitat is
quite important for use as a homing beacon when
exploring for your target of the day.
Our last site for the day was on private property;

folks known to my companions, who were generous in
their playing host to orchid hunters such as our motley
crew. An upland woods provided the now familiar
habitat. However, once again we were only to see
orchids in tight bud and not nearly in the quantity my
companions expected from prior years' visits. Today the
woods only showed off Goodyera. However, the lady of
the house didn't want us to leave disappointed so she
directed us to walk down along a creek where after
several years absence, a purple fringeless orchid,
Platanthera peramoena, decided it was time to reappear.
Due to the relentless attack by deer, it was necessary to
protect this valued specimen with a wire cage enclosure.
In the field was a pleasant and plentiful supply of
ragged fringed orchid, Platanthera lacera, many still in
fine condition.
As we left the farm in that golden glow of late

daylight, we would revisit the ciliaris site now that the
165
wind had completely ceased for the day. Photography is

at its finest when those final golden rays at the end of
the day bathe everything in dramatic light. As we
retraced our steps to the Platanthera ciliaris, we saw a most
curious sight, a herd of deer were grazing. Several first-
year animals were romping along the inside perimeter of
the fence while the adults concentrated on the important
business of grazing. The youngsters were fast losing the
remnants of their white spots, and were almost
completely able to blend in with the rest of the herd.
These fawns seemed impressed with our passing and
were stimulated to put on a performance, without
request, of cavorting up and down the fence line. Aside
from looking up to assure that we were no threat, the
adults merely continued with business.
I sure wished I had time to photograph the

sourwood trees. I had to be content with the last views
of the orchids. My flash equipped companions were
able to persevere longer than I. However, I was quite
content to slowly pack up my gear and contemplate the
many wonderful things seen this day. Stars were starting
to appear. As we hit the main highway and become
concerned with such mundane matters as dinner, I was
seeing star formations that I could only dream about in
the light-polluted confines of home. At dinner, I was
famished; I hadn't eaten since just prior to rendezvous
with Clete in Pittsburgh. I realized the ordeal ahead of
me. It would be midnight before retrieving my car and
then commencing my 2 1/2 hour journey home alone.
Guess what dominates the highways that time of night?
Trucks! My wondrous day-journey would drift far into
166
the night. To echo a refrain from country music greats,

The Kendalls, "Thank God for the radio." That's what got
me home.
Thomas A. Sampliner, 2651 Kerwick, University Heights, Ohio

44118
Tom is a regular contributor to the Journal and last wrote on
Ladies’-tresses of Ohio in the June 1997 issue.
167
Sheviak & Bracht: New Chromosomes Numbers in Platanthera
NEW CHROMOSOME NUMBER

DETERMINATIONS IN PLATANTHERA
Charles J. Sheviak and Michelle Bracht
Chromosome numbers can be useful in

taxonomic analyses because they can impose limits on
the interpretation of other data and indicate mechanisms
of variation and evolution. In some situations they can
help delimit species. Accordingly, we have obtained the
following numbers in support of systematic studies of
the Platanthera hyperborea (L.) Lindley complex. All
vouchers are deposited at NYS.
P. dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. var. dilatata

Sheviak 2391a
New York: Warren Co. 2n=42
P. dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. var. albiflora (Cham.)

Ledeb.
Sheviak & Sheviak 2274a
Colorado: Boulder Co 2n=42; 21II
Sheviak & Jennings 2440
Colorado: Boulder Co. 2n=42
168
Sheviak 5894
Colorado: Boulder Co. 2n=42; 21II
P. dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. var. leucostachys (Lindl.)

Luer
Sheviak 2486a
Nevada: Elko Co. 2n=ca.42
Sheviak 2491b
California: Sierra Co. 2n=42
Sheviak & Sheviak 2918c
California: Sierra Co. 2n=42
P. huronensis (Nutt.) Lindl.

Sheviak 2289
Colorado: Grand Co. 2n=42II
Sheviak & Mitchell 1530

New York: Oswego Co. 2n=ca.84
Sheviak & Sheviak 3092b
British Columbia: Vermillion Crossing 2n=84
Alaska: Kenai Penninsula 2n=84; 42II
Sheviak 5888a
Colorado: Pitkin Co. 2n=84
P. hyperborea (L.) Lindl.

Sheviak 2011a
New York: Clinton Co. 2n=42
169
Sheviak 2340
Minnesota: Clay Co. 2n=42
Sheviak 2732
Manitoba: Sundown 2n=42; 21II
Sheviak & Sheviak 5474
Alaska: Brooks Range 2n=42
P. purpurascens (Rydb.) Shev. & Jenngs.

Sheviak et al. 2428a
Colorado: Clear Creek Co. 2n=42
Sheviak & Burling 2645i
Arizona: Graham Co. 2n=63
Sheviak 5895a
P. stricta Lindl.
Alaska: Talkeetna Mountains 2n=42

Ledeb. P. huronensis (Nutt.) Lindl.
British Columbia: Vermilion Crossing 2n=ca.63
British Columbia: Vermilion Crossing 2n=63

Ledeb. P. purpurascens (Rydb.) Shev. & Jenngs.
170
Sheviak 5863b
Sheviak 5896a
Sheviak 5896b
Sheviak 5897a
Sheviak 5897c
Sheviak 5897d
Undetermined hybrid simulating P. huronensis but with a

very short, strongly clavate to almost saccate spur.
Perhaps P. dilatata (Pursh) Lindl. var. albiflora
(Cham.) Ledeb. P. huronensis (Nutt.) Lindl., but
P. huronensis was not evident at the site. Possibly P.
dilatata var. albiflora P. purpurascens involving an
unreduced gamete (these being the two taxa present with
5863a) or other combinations of these three likely
parentals.
Sheviak 5863a
Colorado: Boulder Co. 2n=ca.63
171
Contribution number 783 of the New York State

Museum and Science Service.
`
Charles J. Sheviak,Ph.D., Biological Survey, New York State Museum, Albany,
NY 12230.
Michelle Bracht, Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany,
NY 12222
[present address: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802].
172
Folsom: FLORIDA’S DANCING LADY
LOOKING FORWARD
SEPTEMBER 1998
Proceedings of the
rd
3 North American Native Orchid Conference
July 8-11, 1998
Lake Itasca, Minnesota
And more!
173
FLORIDA’S DANCING LADY

Stan Folsom
This is a true story of orchid vulnerability,

especially of an uncommon species, which makes
the telling of it highly astounding. I thought rare
and endangered species were protected. What I
learned was quite the contrary. Still, it shocked me
that there are widespread problems here in Florida.
This is the story of what is happening to Florida’s
Dancing Lady, Tolumnia bahamense, (synonym
Oncidium bahamense), an orchid that is so rare that
it is only known from one area. It occurs in and
around the area of the Jonathan Dickinson State
Park near Jupiter, Florida.
To begin my tale, let me relate that I accompanied

Paul Martin Brown on a day trip to view the orchid at
the park. It was a hot day in the low 90’s Fahrenheit with
a brisk breeze, which helped ease the stress of the high
temperature. We left Ocala early in the morning with our
two dogs that enjoy riding along on our orchid
expeditions. The early departure would give us plenty of
time to explore along the way as well as give the
maximum time at the actual site.
174
We were rewarded with many sightings of the so-

called red ladies’-tresses, Sacoila lanceolata, along the
Florida Turnpike and on Interstate 95. We found these
plants in roadside areas that had not been recently
mowed. We probably would have seen more except for
the fact that the Florida highway department has a
diligent need to keep their roadsides mowed as tightly as
they can.
We also had our first sighting of lace-lipped

ladies'-tresses, Spiranthes laciniata, after we left the
Interstate and were headed over to Jonathan Dickinson.
Paul was able to take photographs and DNA samples for
his work.
When we got to the park entrance, we found that

the ranger, Randy Shoe, had left us directions to the best
public site for the Tolumnia. This was the same spot we
had been to several years earlier where we had seen the
plant, but not in bloom.
We traveled the short distance to the spot and

Paul quickly located the orchid. It was in bloom. It had
been flowering for awhile, but it had not set any seed.
While I watched our two Pomeranians, Paul scouted
about for awhile. No other plants were found here, so
we proceeded to slowly explore the roadsides and areas
of the park for other plants. Paul hoped to find more
Spiranthes laciniata, but he came up empty.
It was becoming very hot by this time of late

morning. After partaking of our picnic lunch, we decided
175
to see if we could find the original site for the Tolumnia.

It was an old cemetery where at one time it was thought
that the original Tolumnia had been brought from the
Bahamas as decorations for the graves. The plants had
seeded into the cemetery and surrounding areas.
However, the present status of these plants was very
shaky as the area had been expanded and upgraded by
housing developments and the resulting gentrification.
We left the park and followed directions to the

road where the old cemetery was but we could only find
a neatly manicured, modern cemetery with carefully
maintained grounds. We drove in to see if there was an
older section, but none was evident as all parts were
mown closely and kept up. The back of the cemetery
was in disarray, however, with a large portion of the
wooded, scrubby area being bulldozed to make room for
more gravesites. After leaving this cemetery, which we
felt must not be the right one because it didn’t fit our
idea of an old cemetery, we went all the way to the end
of the road and did not find any evidence of another
cemetery. We were discouraged. Paul thought that
possibly they had moved the graves to make room for
the developments. I felt that was not likely and insisted
we find someone to ask.
Paul agreed to stop for information and pulled

into a garden shop that was just up the street from the
cemetery we had explored. Again, I waited with the dogs
while Paul went into the shop. It seemed like he was
taking forever in the shop, when he came out all grins. It
seems the shop manager, a Carol Wilson, lived next to
176
the cemetery and there were dancing ladies on her

property. She invited us to drive over and explore and
take one if we so desired because ―They pop up
everywhere!‖
Carol related that the cemetery was moved some

years ago from another site that frequently flooded. The
oldest graves dated to 1920. Ames first found the
Tolumnia in 1905, so it is unlikely that the legend of
plants brought over from the Bahamas is credible, at
least at this present site.
We were also told to explore the bulldozed area

because these orchids occurred there as well. We
followed Carol’s directions and found about eight
blooming plants in her yard. We met her companion
who showed us their collection of orchids in the
greenhouse they maintained on the property. Then I
took Paul over to the cemetery and let him out to
explore the back area.
He found many plants in the scrub and one that

had twenty-four blooming stems! This one was right in
the path of the bulldozer!
Now comes the unbelievable part! I have been

told that in the state of Florida, construction workers,
road builders and the like can do anything they like to
clear areas. People who want to rescue rare plants have
to go through so many channels to get that permission
that often the plants are destroyed before they can be
rescued. To me, that is just incredible! I understand the
177
intent is to prevent those unscrupulous characters, who

think nothing of digging up wild flowers for their own
devious ends, from doing just that. There should be
some happy medium, which would allow for a quick
resolution to an impending disaster for the threatened
plants, however. Possibly a state botanist or other
official could be given the go-ahead to cut through the
red tape when the situation demands immediate action.
Another possibility might be for a more closely
monitoring being done of existing sites so that when
progress threatens an area, action can be initiated. Lastly,
there should be some mechanism for the concerned
parties to work out a compromise that is agreeable to the
interested parties. Surely, there can be a better set of
controls put in place that would stop progress for the
time it takes to work out viable options that would
satisfy the builders and shakers and allow the plants to
survive.
Stan Folsom, 10896 SW 90th Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481. Stan is

an artist whose line drawings frequently accompany many of the
articles in the Journal.
178
Tolumnia bahamensis
dancing lady
Palm Beach Co., FL
P.M. Brown
179
179
Sacoila lanceolata var lanceolata Sacoila lanceolata var paludicola
red ladies-tresses Fahkahatchee ladies-tresses
Hendry Co., FL Collier Co., FL
Photos by P.M. Brown
180
180
Brown: Whatever Happened to all of the Spiranthes?!
WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ALL

THOSE SPIRANTHES?!
Paul Martin Brown
The genus Spiranthes, the ladies'-tresses, in the

strictest sense, is one of the most recognizable in all of
the orchids on the earth. They have small, numerous
white or cream flowers arranged in a spike, most often in
a spiral fashion. The only color exception to this is S.
sinensis of Asia and Australia, which is usually bright pink.
As various times in their botanical history many

other species have been included within the genus
Spiranthes. These species may have been originally
described as a Spiranthes or, most often, in closely allied
genera, and then merged by later taxonomists into
Spiranthes.
The various segregate genera are really quite easy

to distinguish as none of them have small, white or
cream flowers arranged in a spiral fashion. The flowers
are usually very small, brown or green or occasionally
white or in some instance brilliant scarlet. Like the true
Spiranthes they do possess basal leaves, either linear or
obovate, and those leaves may or may not extend up the
stem and merge into bracts. The various segregate
181
genera have very specific characteristics and are confined

to the southern portions of North America, often
extending further south to the Caribbean and South
America. In the United States these segregate genera are
found in Florida, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
In Correll (1950), the two volumes by Luer, (Luer

1973, 1975) and most other field guide or local floras all
of these segregate genera are included within the genus
Spiranthes. Garay (1980) and Balogh (1982) both
published extensive revisions to the group with definite
delimitations for the segregate genera. Catling (1990)
presented a brief synopsis of the genera and species and
subsequently some current authors have adopted some
of the segregate genera, but not necessarily all of them.
There has been a real sense of staying away from a
perceived controversy over the segregate genera. In
truth, these various genera are well defined and generally
agreed upon. The only real confusion came with the
choice of Beadlea or Cyclopogon. This was settled when a
specimen was collected that was a typical Beadlea and it
proved to be the type for Cyclopogon! In addition
another plant was collected that was clearly intermediate
between the two genera. In this case the genus
Cyclopogon has priority.
182
Schiedeella fauci-sanguinea
little red spot
183
The following two lists will give a cross-reference

to all of these segregate genera.
Spiranthes adnata = Pelexia adnata

Spiranthes cinnabarina = Dichromanthus cinnabarinus
Spiranthes costaricensis = Beloglottis costaricensis
Spiranthes cranichoides = Cyclopogon cranichoides; Beadlea
cranichoides
Spiranthes durangensis = Deiregyne durangensis
Spiranthes elata = Cyclopogon elatus; Beadlea elata
Spiranthes lanceolata var. lanceolata = Sacoila lanceolata var.
lanceolata
Spiranthes lanceolata var. paludicola = Sacoila lanceolata var.
paludicola
Spiranthes michuacana = Stenorrhynchos michuacanum
Spiranthes orchioides = Sacoila lanceolata var. lanceolata
Spiranthes parasitica = Schiedeella fauci-sanguinea
Spiranthes polyanthus = Mesadenus polyanthus
Beloglottis costaricensis = Spiranthes costaricensis

Cyclopogon cranichoides = Spiranthes cranichoides
Cyclopogon elatus = Spiranthes elata
Deiregyne durangensis = Spiranthes durangensis
Dichromanthus cinnabarinus = Spiranthes cinnabarina
Mesadenus polyanthus = Spiranthes polyanthus
Pelexia adnata = Spiranthes adnata
Sacoila lanceolata var. lanceolata = Spiranthes lanceolata;
Spiranthes orchioides
Sacoila lanceolata var. paludicola = Spiranthes lanceolata var.
paludicola
184
Schiedeella fauci-sanguinea = Spiranthes parasitica

Stenorrhynchos michuacanum = Spiranthes michuacana
Stenorrhynchos lanceolatum = Sacoila lanceolata var. lanceolata
The following synopses will attempt to present the

differing characteristics between and among the genera.
Beloglottis costaricensis: to 30 cm tall; rosette of green leaves

withering at flowering time; tiny white and green striped
flowers; very rare in southern Florida
Cyclopogon cranichoides: to 40 cm tall; rosettes of purple cast

green leaves that are present at flowering time; spike
speckled with purple; flowers greenish-brown with a
white lip; found scattered throughout southern and
north-central Florida
C. elatus: similar to the above but with greenish-brown
flowers that appear to not fully open; very rare; found
(formerly) in widely scattered sites in southern and
north-central Florida
Deiregyne durangensis: 20-40 cm tall; large pale pink and

green striped flowers, leaves linear and absent at
flowering time; found (formerly) only in southwestern
Texas (Garay refers all the US specimens to Deiregyne
confusa and differs from D. durangensis in having
glandular-pubescent sepals and a differently
proportioned lip.
Dichromanthus cinnabarinus: 30-50 cm tall; dark green

leaves ascending the stem becoming bracts, present at
185
flowering time; large, brilliant vermilion and yellow

flowers; found only in southwestern Texas
Mesadenus polyanthus: to 40 cm tall; leaves present at

flowering time, withering soon after; tiny flowers rosy-
brown flowers; very slender and almost invisible in the
oak woodlands; found only in central Florida
Pelexia adnata: to 70 cm tall; erect basal leaves with long

purplish petioles; flowers small with green petals and a
white lip, floral bract long and conspicuous; found only
in southern Florida
Sacoila lanceolata var. lanceolata: one of the showiest of all

of the orchids of Florida; colorful, large, brick-red
flowers on spikes up to 60 cm tall; leaves absent at
flowering time; found throughout southern and central
Florida, primarily on roadsides!
S. lanceolata var. paludicola: differs from the preceding
variety in that it has leaves present at flowering time,
few, smaller but more brilliantly colored flowers and is
restricted to the Fakahatchee Strand area in southern
Florida (occasional reports from other similar areas in
south Florida)
Schiedeella fauci-sanguinea: to 30 cm tall; leaves in a basal

rosette and not present at flowering time; tiny white
flowers with a bright red blotch on the underside of the
lip; found from southeastern Arizona to western Texas
Stenorrhynchos michuacanum: 20-40 cm tall; leaves in a basal

rosette somewhat ascending the stem; absent at
186
flowering time; flowers more or less a one sided raceme,

green and white found from southeastern Arizona to
western Texas
Paul Martin Brown, editor NANOJ
Literature Cited:
Balogh, P.B. 1982. Generic redefinition of subtribe Spiranthinae.
American Journal of Botany 69:1119-1132.
Catling, P.M. 1990 Biology of the North American
Representatives of the Subfamily Spiranthoideae in North
American Native Terrestrial Orchid Propagation and Production,
Brandywine Conservancy, Chadds Ford
Correll, D.S. 1950, Native Orchids of North America. Chronica
Botanica, Waltham
Garay, L.A. 1980. A Generic Revision of the Spiranthinae.
Botanical Museum Leaflets 28(4), Harvard University,
Cambridge
Luer, C.A. 1972. Native Orchids of Florida, NY Botanical Garden,
Bronx
1975.Native Orchids of the United States and Canada
excluding Florida. NY Botanical Garden, Bronx
187
PRE-PUBLICATION
ANNOUNCEMENT
Watch this fall for the publication of

WILD ORCHIDS ACROSS
NORTH AMERICA
by
Philip E. Keenan
from
Timber Press
This botanical travelogue is liberally

illustrated with nearly 200 full color
photos as well as detailed chapters on
wild orchids in nearly all of
North America
A must for all orchid lovers
Ordering information will be in the

September Journal
188
3rd ANNUAL NORTH AMERICAN
NATIVE ORCHID CONFERENCE
Lake Itasca State Park, Minnesota
July 8, 9, 10 & 11, 1998
We will begin at noon on July 8th and continue with speakers'

meetings and a wide variety of programs and workshops on July
9th. Field trips on the 10th & 11th will present an opportunity to see
a diversity of native orchids in full flower. The two specialties of
the conference will be
Malaxis paludosa
BOG ADDER'S-MOUTH
and a special trip to the international boundary in Manitoba to see
Platanthera praeclara
WESTERN PRAIRIE FRINGED ORCHIS
in one of the largest stands known—
in 1996 over 20,000 flowering stems were seen!!
Speakers include:
Welby Smith, author, Orchids of Minnesota
Bill Steele, Spangle Creek Labs
Larry Zettler, Illinois College
Lorne Heshka, Orchids of Manitoba
Dianne Plunkett, photographing orchids
Mark Larocque, Piperia mysteries
Paul Martin Brown, Color Variation and Form
Margaret From, Platanthera praeclara
Nancy Cowden, Platanthera ciliaris complex
our featured speaker will be
189
Dr. Paul M. Catling
Ottawa, Canada, co-author Orchids of Ontario
"Recent Advances in the Systematics and Ecology of North
American Orchids"
and will feature an overview of discoveries since Luer's
publications and an analysis of what lead to these discoveries.
To register for the conference send your check for $45 per person to:
North American Native Orchid Alliance
PO Box 759
Acton, Maine 04001-0759
 Space is limited to 75 persons.

Due to a few cancellations we still have some space left - do not delay to
send in your registration!
To reserve rooms or campground space at Lake Itasca State Park call

1-800-246-2267
This is a general reservation number for all of the Minnesota State Parks so be
specific about your needs at Itasca—it is a very popular park and you need early
reservations.
NOTE:
If you are an individual and cannot get a room that you want call or write the
NANOA office as there are a few people going that have a second bed in their
room
The field trips for the Malaxis will be held in small groups to several different
sites to minimize impact on the plants.
190

June 1998 North American Native Orchid Journal

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June 1998 North American Native Orchid Journal

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NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE

Editor: Paul Martin Brown

The Journal welcomes articles, of any length, of both a scientific

1999 Membership in the North American Native Orchid Alliance,

AMERORCHIS ROTUNDIFOLIA forma LINEATA

THE PINK LADY'S-SLIPPER IN THE FRAGMENTED

PICTURE PERFECT ORCHIDS

ORCHID HUNTING IN FLORIDA DURING JANUARY

TRIFLING WITH TRIPHORA

FLORIDA’S DANCING LADY

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE

This summers’ conference is jam packed with

I am at the point of needing more articles to keep

The September issue of the Journal will contain

We will be back in Florida on September 1, so the

Amerorchis rotundifolia is an attractive but rare

Other common plants growing with it are

The Amerorchis flower is pinkish, and the lip is

several forms but the most interesting to me is the forma

In 1993, on our way to Alaska we stopped there

While we were in Alaska we visited a site at Eklutna

forma lineata, but several of them had large blotches of

Last June, Paul Martin Brown called me to say a

Blooming at the same time as the Amerorchis in

The broad-leaved helleborine orchid, Epipactis

In 1993, on that same trip to Alaska, we stopped

Shirley A. Curtis, 278 Baer Rd., Rollinsford, NH 03869

THE PINK LADY'S-SLIPPER IN THE

In the region of central Virginia surrounding the

Each of these parks has a large area consigned for

species of hickory, Carya sp. and beech, Fagus grandifolia.

Beneath the white oaks the ground is covered by a

If you take some time to observe where these pink

was equally dismayed but not exactly surprised to find

The remaining population of pink lady's-slippers

These orchids have an amazing list of

between a long-lived orchid and its progeny continue

To try and answer this question, I made many

plant closer to the tree trunk and the smallest (assumed

At Pocahontas State Forest, I eventually found a

My observations do suggest that the pink lady's-

The focal point or center of the blossom occurs at the

PICTURE PERFECT ORCHIDS

The Slow Empiricist

Many amateur photographers have trouble

Before this article can help you create more

plant stands out by itself. Flash photography is anathema

As you ponder what is important to you in

I learned a long time ago that if you are not true

self with is only a cheap imitation of the real thing. You

Now that you won't be trying to achieve the

Learning to use artistic tools is like learning to

At this point in your exercise you should have

I would like to take you through some rough ideas

Composition is the process of selecting the

1. Uneven numbers are more dynamic than even

usually more effective than two stems. Three is better

2. Focal points. The second tip concerns where

3. The golden oblong. There is a trick that

Every picture can be divided up into areas. The

plane can affect the balance. Sometimes it is more

You have the element of line to work with in

Plants have stems, which are very linear in nature.