Small
Whorled Pogonia
Isotria
medeoloides
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Whorled Pogonia
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OK,
this is definitely not a good picture and the flower wasn't fully open yet.
I wanted to post it, however, because so many folks would like to know what
these rare orchids look like, and might need a guide to determine if they've
seen one. I have only seen it once - and that was thanks to a field trip
with the Georgia Botanical Society, to a site near the NC-Georgia state
line. The most important feature I noticed is that without the flower, they
look almost exactly like the very common Indian Cucumber Root. (In fact
its latin name medeoloides means "resembles medeola", Indian Cucumber
Root.) For all I know, I've passed it by before without realizing what it
was. We found it growing in a mostly shady spot near the edge of a forest
opening, on a moist wooded slope at low elevation. The most noticeable differences
between this and the Cucumber Root (and that isn't saying much) is that
the orchid stem is thicker and fleshier, and the pedicel for the flower
is also thicker and shorter than on the Cucumber Root, and the orchid plant
overall is shorter. I've read in several guides that this orchid can remain
dormant underground for 10-20 years between flowerings. So keep a sharp
eye out when you're hiking - if you see something that looks like Indian
Cucumber Root but something's not quite right, stop to make a closer inspection.
fdudley@weaversites.com
Fiona Dudley
Weaversites
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Weaverville NC 28787
828-231-1501
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