Orchid habitat ... no jungle, no Victorian hothouse, no puppy blood |
There appears to be a cost to this otherwise clever strategy: the orchids may not generate enough reserves during a single winter to either push up new flowers in the following summer or split off a new plant by subdividing underground. So reproduction may be deferred in exchange for a reliable refuge from the hustle and bustle of warm-season competition in the plant world.
The first orchid we came across was the Puttyroot (Aplectrum hyemale), with its tapering green leaf decorated with white pinstripes, usually only a step or two from a beech tree (Fagus grandifolia). The orchid is the sole member of its genus and occurs only in the forests of eastern North America. We've found a fair number of singletons. But there are also scattered clusters of two to several leaves, probably families of clones descended from a single founding plant. If flowers show up at all, they appear in May to June on a stalk of about a dozen green and purple-tinged blooms. The flowers offer no nectar, although the stumbling and bumbling of native bees may dislodge some pollen onto the stigma of the same flower. Experiments have shown that this will happen even without buggy interventions. Cross pollination is either exceedingly rare or non-existent. One of the army of tiny seeds that result from self-fertilization may produce a new plant if it happens to land on a spot where a friendly fungus will nurture it. This seems to be a rare event.
Two Puttyroot Orchids (Aplectrum hyemale) (Southwestern Baltimore County) |
The other wintergreen orchid in the woodlot is the Cranefly Orchid (Tipularia discolor). It's the only member of its genus in North America, although it has kin in East Asia. The leaf isn't as narrow as the Puttyroot and lacks the pin stripes, but it may have a smattering of raised purple spots. The central vein rests in a valley, while the neighboring veins ride along ridges, giving the leaf a pleated appearance. The underside is a deep purple.
Left: Two Cranefly Orchids (Tipularia discolor), upper surface showing pleating and purple spots. Right: Deep purple under surface. |
We are looking forward to finding the flowers of both orchid species later this year. However, we have been disappointed to find that the woodlot has been invaded by dirt bikers, who apparently have the right to trash the place as they see fit. Within the last few weeks, they have blazed trails throughout the forest and have already run over some of the orchids.Tragedy of the commons.
Dirt biker JT marks his territory on a beech tree. A fine lad, I'm sure. |
Follow the these links for more info on Puttyroot Orchids and Cranefly Orchids.