2003 Compilation North American Native Orchid Journal

NORTH AMERICAN
NATIVE ORCHID JOURNAL

Volume 9 2003
IN THIS ISSUE:
THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA
ORCHID MEMORIES: THE PAINTINGS OF STAN FOLSOM
UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII
and more…………..
The North American Native Orchid Journal (ISSN 1084-7332) is an annual
publication devoted to promoting interest and knowledge of the native orchids
of North America. A limited number of the print version of each issue of the
Journal are available upon request and electronic versions are available to all
interested persons or institutions free of charge. The Journal welcomes article of
any nature that deal with native or introduced orchids that are found growing
wild in North America, primarily north of Mexico, although articles of general
interest concerning Mexican species will welcome.
Requests for either print or electronic copies should be sent to the editor:
Paul Martin Brown, 10896 SW 90th Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 or via email at
naorchid@aol.com.
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NORTH AMERICAN
NATIVE ORCHID JOURNAL
Volume 9 2003
CONTENTS
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
2
Carole Siegel
3
ORCHID MEMORIES:
THE PAINTINGS OF STAN FOLSOM
Stan Folsom
22
NEW TAXA
Paul Martin Brown
33
TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS
Paul Martin Brown & Scott Stewart
36
UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII
Paul Martin Brown
36
ORCHID EXPLORATION FOR THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST
The Slow Empiricist
40
NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHIDS BOOKS IN PROGRESS
a news report
43
AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND AN ORCHID TREASURE
Carol Siegel
44
Unless otherwise credited, all drawings in this issue are by Stan Folsom
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 9 pages 1-46; issued November 1, 2003.
Copyright 2003 by the North American Native Orchid Alliance, Inc.
Cover: Spiranthes infernalis by Stan Folsom
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NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
This is the first annual issue in the new full-size format. It will make
both the composition and assembly of the publication much easier. Because we
are now an annual publication news of the past year is included.
Conferences are now being organized by the Native Orchid Conference,
Inc. Although in no way affiliated with the North American Native Orchid
Alliance, these conferences are supported by the Alliance and all
members/readers are encouraged to support them. The Native Orchid
Conference also maintains a discussion group via email. For more information
about their conferences and the email group see their website at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nativeorchidconference/.
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Siegel: THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA
Carol Siegel
Pity poor Hawaii… Contrary to its lush image as the Orchid Capital of the
world, Hawaii has only three native orchids. Nevada, on the other hand, with its
sizzling, dry deserts and freezing, snowy mountains, the last place associated with
orchids, boasts no fewer than TWELVE native orchids, two of which occur in two
distinct varieties. Stand aside, Hawaii, as we strut our stuff.
It’s not easy to be an orchid in Nevada, yet our resilient and resourceful native
orchids have learned to make a living in any little microclimate that boasts a little
water and a little shade. Professor Wes Niles, curator of the Herbarium at UNLV,
relates that under a dripping fountain outside the Chemistry Building, clumps of
Epipactis gigantea started to grow, its seeds carried on the wind. In the drainage of a
university swimming pool, additional stands grew and flowered just a couple of miles
from the Strip.
In the steaming desert of Las Vegas in Clark County, where temperatures can
range from nine degrees to one hundred and nineteen degrees, three orchids are
found: Epipactis gigantea in many places in Red Rock Recreational Area and elsewhere,
Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys in Kyle Canyon, and our common species Platanthera
sparsiflora, in several locations in the Spring Mountains including Kyle and Lee
Canyons. In Southern Nevada, including Clark, Nye and Lincoln counties, these and
an additional four native orchids are found, Corallorhiza maculata, Spiranthes diluvialis,
Spiranthes infernalis, and Spiranthes romanzoffiana, an amazing seven native orchids. In all,
Nevada has these seven, and also Corallorhiza striata, Listera cordata, Spiranthes porrifolia,
Piperia unalascensis, and the variety Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora, and Platanthera stricta,
twelve in all. All our orchids are “terrestrial”, that is, they grow in the ground rather
than clinging to the bark of a tree.
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An orchid was considered to be in Nevada if it was listed in herbariums (dried plant

and information repositories) at UNLV and UNR or if it was listed as being an orchid
from Nevada in the Flora Of North America Volume 26 2002, Luer’s Native Orchids Of
The United States And Canada, Correll’s Native Orchids Of North America, and Brown &
Folsom The Wild Orchids Of North America, North Of Mexico. There may be other
orchids in other counties, but we thought that this was a reliable start to cataloguing
the orchids of Nevada.
CORALLORHIZA MACULATA
Leafless, flowers heavily-spotted, devoid of green, this odd
orchid gets its nourishment solely by being parasitic on its fungus
hosts. This is one of those orchids that do not look like most
people’s idea of an orchid. Known as the spotted coral root, its
fungus-infected roots have a knobby appearance like pieces of
branched coral, and its three-lobed white lip, and often its sepals,
petals and column, are dotted with reddish to purplish spots. It
mooches off other living things its whole life. It is known as
“mycotrophic plant” because it relies on a special relationship
with mycorrhizal fungus for its food. All orchids start their lives
dependent on fungus for food because orchid seeds have no
endosperm or food tissue for their growing embryos. The little
seed must land on the fungus that serves as its nanny providing
food. As most orchids grow, they develop leaves and become
self-supporting. Corallorhiza maculata, however, is like a teen-ager
who never leaves home. It continues to feed off its fungus for
food throughout its whole life. Without photosynthesis, it has no
need for leaves or chlorophyll, and the leaves are reduced to tiny
sheaths on the flower stem. The plants are devoid of green and
exhibit, instead, gay and attractive shades of brown, red and yellow. The strangely-
shaped plants are just rhizome, stem and flowers, and appear above the ground to
bloom. The plant grows usually in dry, open forest between 6900 and 10,000 feet in
the decaying leaf litter although they tolerate some moist environments, too. Because
of their delicate relationship with their fungus, transplanting them from the wild is out
of the question, even if it were legal.
This orchid is a favorite in folk medicine, used to break fevers by causing
sweating. The Paiute and Shoshone Indians of Nevada made a tea to build up the
blood in pneumonia sufferers.
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CORALLORHIZA STRIATA var. STRIATA and var. VREELANDII

Corallorhiza striata, with its riot of stripes, is easy to tell from all
other coralroots. About 16 inches tall, C. striata bears more than 45
heavily-striped flowers on leafless stems, each flower little more than
½ inch across. Like all coralroots, it never produces its own food. A
parasitic wasp pollinates this most striking and largest-flowered
coralroot.
Different color forms of Corallorhiza striata have been given
forma names. In Nevada, the varieties vreelandii and striata have been
noted by the Flora Of North America. Variety striata is larger, brown to
reddish-brown with sepals and petals that have three to five reddish-to-
brown veins and lips over 7 mm. Variety vreelandii, with a light tan to
yellowish base color and dull-brown stripes, is slightly smaller and less
bright than var. striata. Blooming season is from May to July, and
individual plants do not bloom every year. In a study lasting 29 years
on a single colony, the number of blooming plants varied from 0-155.
Four years, there were NO plants at all.
EPIPACTIS GIGANTEA
In May of 2000, over fifty of our orchid-loving
club adventurers hiked into the hills of Red Springs in
the Red Rock Recreation Area to see our native orchid,
Epipactis gigantea, with Dr. Patrick Leary, Chairman of
Biology at CCSN. As we hung over the side of the cliff,
we had the thrill of seeing dozens of these orchids, lips
quivering in the breeze, for the very first time. In the
shade of the sandstone cliff, a spring wetting the earth,
this little orchid had found a tiny, hospitable
microclimate in which to flourish in the desert.
Epipactis gigantea, is sometimes known as the
stream orchid because it loves to grow in wet places
from sea level to 7500 feet, where it is found in bogs,
hot springs, road cuts and wet cliff faces. How strange
to find it in the Mojave Desert with only 2-4 inches of
rain a year! It is the most common native orchid in
California and occurs all over Las Vegas where there is a
little water—First Creek, La Madre Spring, Ash Spring, Pine Creek, Icebox Canyon,
Spring Mountain Ranch, Sandstone Spring, and Blue Diamond to name some. Springs
in Blue Diamond are being pumped dry, and there is worry that they may not survive
there.
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The syrphid fly pollinates the orchid. The aroma of the orchid supposedly
smells like the honeydew smell given off by aphids, which are the food supply for the
syrphid fly larvae. Fooled by little projections on the orchid that look like masses of
aphids and by the sweet smell, the syrphid fly lays its eggs on the orchid, inadvertently
pollinating the flower in the process. Since there are really no aphids, just a trick, the
poor little hatched larvae are doomed to perish.
Epipactis comes from an ancient Greek word used by Theophrastus in 350 B.C.
for a medicinal plant. Gigantea, of course, means gigantic, although neither the plant
nor the flower is gigantic. The plant blooms to about three feet high, with 12-20
flowers per inflorescence. The flowers are about one-and-a-half to two inches across
and usually face in the same direction. The sepals are dark green, and the lip is usually
red, three-lobed in the middle, with yellow lateral lobes. Part of the lip is elongated
and quivers in the breeze, hence its other popular name, the “chatterbox orchid” for
its moving lips! The plant has ten or more green, alternating leave, which die back to
the ground in the fall. Come winter, you don’t even know the orchid is there.
Indians used a medicine of the fleshy roots
for internal use when they felt sick all over. Other
Indians were said to drink a similar concoction to
combat mania and severe illness.
LISTERA CONVALLARIOIDES
This is one of those beauties that require a
magnifying glass to truly appreciate. Convallarioides
means “like lily-of-the-valley”, which it is
supposed to resemble. Listera convallarioides is easy
to tell from L. cordata since the lip of the former is
shallowly trilobed and the latter is deeply forked.
The whole genus Listera was named in honor of
Martin Lister, an English botanist and scientist. It
is a worldwide genus of 25 species, eight growing
in the United States, and two in Nevada. Hard to
find because of its small size, it reaches to just 10
inches, carrying over 25 small green or sometimes
purple flowers. Some have said that the flower shape looks like a prehistoric bird or a
mayfly.
This orchid also has a special pollination device, a little projection from the
rostellum that acts as a trigger firing pollen masses at visiting insects.
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LISTERA CORDATA
An adorable, tiny plant just 4-10 inches tall, it
bears up to 30 flowers that are deeply forked for half its
length. The little flowers look like tiny elves, with forked
lip looking like legs, tiny horn-like projection looking like
arms, and petals and sepals spreading over the lip like
the hat.
This orchid is not listed in the Flora of North
America, but there is an herbarium sample for it, found in
Snake Creek in the Snake Range of White Pine County,
Listera cordata is part of a genus commonly called
“twayblades” because it always has two leaves. With its
heart-shaped opposite leaves halfway up its stem, it has
earned the title “heart-
leaved twayblade”.
Fungus gnats,
attracted by odor and nectar, visit the orchid,
triggering three pressure-sensitive hairs that eject a
droplet of glue on the unsuspecting gnat. Then, the
pollinia are dropped into the glue. The glue hardens
like cement, and the fly is stuck with carrying the
pollinia to another flower!!
PIPERIA UNALASCENSIS
The species is named for Unalaska, the
Aleutian Island where it was first found.
Commonly called Alaskan piperia or slender spire
orchid, the small, delicate flowers are carried in a
spire that varies from 6-24 inches. The genus was
named in honor of C. V. Piper of the Agricultural
Experiment Station at Pullman, Washington. In the
fall, Piperia forms new underground roots, one of which later forms a new tuber. The
basal leaves appear in late fall to spring, and the flower spikes arise from late springs
to early summer. The leaves yellow and fall away before the flower opens; the flowers
last from four to six weeks.
Nocturnally fragrant yet lingering during the day, the flower attracts moths with
its unusual smell, sometimes described as musky, soapy, or honey-like. Interestingly,
when the flower first opens, the lip is held tight against the column forcing its
8
pollinator to remove pollen only in the search for nectar in its spur. Aging over time,
the lip moves downward, exposing the nectary and allowing pollen deposition. This
clever strategy effectively prevents self-pollination by not having the male and female
parts available at the same time.
Over the years, this plant as been classified with Habenaria or Platanthera. Plants
in all these form underground tubers with fibrous roots, but Piperia has round tubers
and Platanthera has elongated tubers. Piperia has leaves near the base, and Platanthera
has them scattered along the stem.
PLATANTHERA (syn. HABENARIA)

DILATATA var. ALBIFLORA and var. LEUCOSTACHYS
The Bog Candle, Scent-Bottle, or White Bog Orchid, as it is commonly
called, is a small white stalk of fragrant little flowers, maybe eight inches high and
looking just like a little white candle. The first time I saw this
orchid I was on the island of Newfoundland in Canada. They
were just growing wild in the streets. They grew along the
roadsides, in front of houses, in ditches, in forest, under picnic
tables—just everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them.
They also grow in many counties in Nevada. UNR says it has
numerous herbarium samples of it. It grows here with a wide
range of heights, some plants having as many as 248 flowers.
There are two varieties of Platanthera dilatata in Nevada,
the var. albiflora and the var. leucostachys, with var. leucostachys
being treated sometimes as a distinct species.
Both have a spur carrying nectar, providing a
reward for pollinators. The varieties are based
on differing spur length reflecting different
pollination pressures. The long spurs on the
flowers and nocturnal fragrance of var.
leucostachys means it is specialized for moth
pollination. The short spur on variety albiflora
suggests a broad range of pollinators
including the bee or fly.
Variety leucostachys (white means “white spike” in Greek) is easy
to recognize because its flower is always white. The flowers are very
fragrant smelling a lot like cloves. The petals trap the emerging lip
and newly opened flowers have a loopy look. The upturned lip
offers access to only one side of the lip, and the visiting insect can
only take one pollinia per visit. This strategy ensures that the flower
will have more pollinators carrying genetic material, supposedly
9
increasing the chances for success. The plant blooms from May to September, and
has a wide tolerance for surviving in different elevations.
This orchid has been used in folk medicine by the Thompson
Indians of British Columbia. “Young men use it as a wash to make
them lucky, good looking and sweet smelling. Women use the wash to
gain a mate and have success in love. Both sexes use it to obtain riches
and property. When they dig up the plant they chant, ’Friend, I want
wealth and much property.” Northwest Indians and Eskimos eat the
corms that supposedly taste like potatoes. (Coffey, p.328)
PLATANTHERA (SYN. HABENARIA) SPARSIFLORA

Flowering from April to September in wet meadows, marshes,
stream banks and seeping slopes, its common name is “Sparsely
flowering bog orchid”. Often producing over 120 green to yellowish
green very fragrant flowers per plant, it is sparsely flowering only in
comparison to Platanthera dilatata. It blooms in Mummy Springs in Mt.
Charleston, and our club hiked up to see it. It is easily recognized by
its green color and large column, which fills half the “hood” formed
by the sepals and petals. This is a narrow flower that likes high
elevations and wet ground. It is thought to be pollinated by a moth,
the pollinia attaching to its proboscis.
PLATANTHERA STRICTA
Sometimes called Platanthera saccata,
because of its “saccate” or purse-shaped spur,
this two-to-three foot orchid can have sixty
green flowers, sometimes with a purple tinge.
As a reward to the variety of insects that visit
the flower, the orchid offers droplets of
nectar on the flowers as well as nectar inside
the spur. Blooming from May to early August
in Elko County at 7500 feet, it is called the
Slender Bog Orchid. It is not mentioned in
the Flora of North America but is mentioned in
Correll’s Native Orchids Of North America and
Luer’s Native Orchids Of The United States And
Canada.
It is pollinated by a whole group of
insects with short mouthparts. It has a whole
bouquet of treats to attract pollinators- floral
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fragrance, a sparkling, shimmering appearance of the inflorescence, extrafloral glucose

to eat on the flower raceme, nectar in a spur, and a pollination chamber that can
accommodate a variety of insects.
SPIRANTHES DILUVIALIS
Of conservation concern, this rare orchid is a naturally occurring hybrid of S.
romanzoffiana and S. magnicamporum, blooming in July and August, in moist to wet
meadows, stream banks, and marshes. Although it has been found in Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, it is very rare in
Nevada. It is commonly called Ute’s Ladies’-tresses and is pollinated by long-tongued
bees like bumblebees that seek out the nectar.
James Morefield of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program says that it is listed
as a threatened species under the US Endangered Species Act .He
further remarked in an e-mail on April 29, 2003:
One of my highest orchid priorities has been to establish
whether or not Spiranthes diluvialis is still present in Nevada. The
only record is from the 1930’s, probably in the native hay meadow
directly below (west of Panaca Spring on the northern edge of
Panaca in Lincoln County). This meadow is privately owned, and
so far the landowner has not been keen on allowing a State
employee to determine whether or not a threatened orchid exists on
their land.
James Coyner, American Orchid Society Rep to the Utah
Orchid Society who is a Spiranthes diluvialis recovery team member,
recounts his frustration also: I also searched an area north of there
in White Pine County in the general area of the Pony Express
Route west of the Goshute Indian Reservation. The search was
based on a ranch hand’s report that he had seen such a plant
growing there.
He found no orchids and would be very interested in anyone
who has. It would be an interesting project for our club to try to re-
locate this orchid.
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SPIRANTHES INFERNALIS
Ash Meadows in Nye County is an unlikely

place to find an orchid. Hot and dry, just nine miles
from Death Valley Junction, the ground is so thickly
covered with salt that it looked like winter snow. Fed
by a vast network of underground springs, the
ground bounces like foam rubber when you walk on
it. On June 25, 2003, seven hardy Greater Las Vegas
Orchid Society conservation enthusiasts braved the
intense summer heat to participate in the orchid
count of Spiranthes infernalis at Ash Meadows National
Wildlife Refuge. Spiranthes infernalis is found there and
nowhere else in the world. We got up at dawn and
drove 90 miles to make sure that the population of
endemic orchids was safe. Invasive weeds, like the
Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens), a noxious
perennial herb, probably introduced in hay from
Eurasia, now covers over 500 acres where there were
none in 1990. The fear is that the introduced weeds
will squeeze out the rare and exotic orchid.
The 22,000 acres of Meadows are protected as a national wildlife refuge because they
contain a greater concentration of unique species than any other location in the
United States—13 threatened and endangered species and at least 24 plants and
animals found nowhere else in the world- including our orchid. It is one of the few
natural desert oases in the Southwest, providing habitat for 220 species of migratory
birds.
Spiranthes come from two Greek words meaning “coil” and “flowers” for the
coiled or spiraled flower spikes of this genus. Because of the supposed resemblance of
the spirals to some hairstyles, Spiranthes are commonly called “ladies’-tresses.”
Spiranthes infernalis, Ash Meadows ladies’-tresses, was named in 1989 by Charles J.
Sheviak and is endemic to the alkaline, moist soils of Ash Meadows, meaning it is
ONLY found there, making it very special. It is similar to other Spiranthes with many
small, white, spiraling orchid flowers. In 1990, populations worldwide were estimated
at between 730-1160 individuals. Until last year, global counts for species were around
1400 individuals. Surveys last year estimated 10,000 individuals and this year, happily,
the survey we took part in found 13,500 plants.
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SPIRANTHES PORRIFOLIA
“Porrifolia” comes from two Latin words meaning “leek
green” and “leaves”, referring to the color of the leaves. The
beautiful flower spike has multiple spirals of over 100 creamy yellow
flowers. Thoreau wrote of Spiranthes, “Its crystalline white flowers
are arranged in a dense spiral cone like the thread of a screw”
although others think it resembles a girl’s braids. Restricted in range,
it is limited to the western parts of the United States, mainly
California, Oregon and Washington, giving it is common name of
“western ladies’-tresses”. Its peak blooming season is July and
August, and its blooming season overlaps with Spiranthes
romanzoffiana, which may account for the existence of natural
hybrids between the two. It grows in moist meadows and seeps.
Darwin described the pollination mechanism of Spiranthes to
prevent self-pollination. On freshly opened flowers, the column is
positioned close to the lip blocking the stigma. The insect probing
for nectar comes away with a load of pollen but cannot deposit it on
the blocked female part. As the flower ages, the stigma is revealed,
and an insect can deposit pollen from another flower. This is a
common strategy of Spiranthes.
SPIRANTHES ROMANZOFFIANA
The species is named in honor of Nicholas
Romanzof, a Russian minister of state when the flower
was discovered in Alaska, Alaska was a Russian territory
and so named it for its minister. The sepals and petals
form a hood over the column and the basal half of the lip,
and the common name is therefore “hooded ladies’-
tresses”, the tresses referring to the “curly” spirals of
flowers. It has a “pandurate” or violin-shaped lip that is
distinctive. In the Southwest, blooming size is between 4
and 16 inches with up to 60 flowers in three dense spirals.
It is found in meadows as well as springs and grassy wet
areas. Blooming in August, it is difficult to find when not
in bloom because the grasses and other plants hide its
short leaves.
Spiranthes romanzoffiana has a sweet aroma that has
been described as that of sweet lilacs. Eleven pollinators
are attracted to its delightful aroma, six species of
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bumblebee, one cuckoo bee, one leaf-cutting bee, and three halictid bees. Bees visit
many times over a long period, landing on the lowest flowers first and working their
way up the inflorescence. Supposedly, the lower flowers have the most nectar and are
therefore the most attractive. The tallest, prettiest plants attract the most visitors.
Pollinia are attached to the insect’s tongue!
So there we have them, all twelve. What a thrill it is for us to know that so
many native orchids have found a home in Nevada!
The following orchids are mentioned in the Flora as being in Nevada:

Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. Flora of North America:
Volume 26. New York, Oxford. Oxford University Press. 2002
Spiranthes romanzoffiana
Spiranthes porrifolia
Spiranthes diluvialis
Spiranthes infernalis
Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora
Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys
Platanthera sparsiflora
Piperia unalascensis
Listera convallarioides
Corallorhiza striata var. striata
Corallorhiza striata var. vreelandii
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis
Platanthera stricta is not mentioned in the FLORA but is mentioned as being from
Nevada in:
Correll, Donovan Stewart. Native Orchids of North America North of Mexico.
Stanford University Press. Stanford. 1978.
Luer, C.A. The Native Orchids of the United States and Canada. New York
Botanical Garden. New York. 1975.
The following orchids are represented by dried specimens and are in the database of
UNLV at Las Vegas, Nevada. Thanks to Professor Wes Niles and Kathryn Birgy for
all your help.
Corallorhiza maculata
Epipactis gigantea
Habenaria dilatata (syn. Platanthera)
Habenaria dilatata var. leucostachys (syn. Platanthera)
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Habenaria sparsiflora (syn. Platanthera)

Listera cordata (not mentioned in the Flora above)****
The following species are dried specimens and in the database of UNR. Thanks to
Arnold Tiehm and Christy Malone for your help.
Epipactis gigantea
Habenaria dilatata (syn. Platanthera)
Habenaria dilatata var. leucostachys (syn. Platanthera)
Habenaria sparsiflora (syn. Platanthera)
In the herbariums of UNR and UNLV, the following orchids are represented by
county (starting from Southern Nevada and going north)
CLARK:
Epipactis gigantea
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys (This orchid is NOT represented in the
herbariums. However, Dr. Patrick Leary asserts that it was collected by Ira Stokey in
Kyle Canyon, and Dr. Leary is the expert on this area’s plants.)
Platanthera (Habenaria) sparsiflora
NYE:
Epipactis gigantea
LINCOLN:
ESMERALDA
MINERAL:
15
None
DOUGLAS:
Epipactis gigantea
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata var. leucostachys
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (no variety listed)
LYON:
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (no variety mentioned)
CARSON CITY:
CHURCHILL:
None
STOREY:
LANDER:
EUREKA:
None
WHITE PINE:
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (var. not mentioned)
Listera cordata
WASHOE:
16
Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (var. not mentioned)

PERSHING:
None
HUMBOLDT:
Epipactis gigantea
ELKO:
Platanthera dilatata (var. not mentioned)
Platanthera sparsiflora
Platanthera stricta (specified county by Correll)
The following orchids are found in the herbarium from the following counties:
Corallorhiza maculata:
Douglas, Washoe, White Pine, Nye, Elko
Epipactis gigantea:
Clark, Douglas, Humboldt, Nye
Listera convallarioides:
Douglas, Ormsby/Carson, Washoe, White Pine
Listera cordata:
White Pine
Platanthera dilatata (no variety listed):

Elko, Douglas, Lyon, Washoe, White Pine
Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys:

Carson, Douglas, Elko, Lander, Storey, Washoe, White Pine
Platanthera sparsiflora:
Carson City, Clark, Lincoln, White Pine, Elko, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Nye, Washoe
17
Spiranthes infernalis:
Nye
Spiranthes romanzoffiana:
Elko, Washoe, Nye
Author’s note; I could not have done this little article without the help and guidance of Ron
Coleman. I never appreciated how much time and effort went into his books until I started writing
this tiny shadow of his work. Much of the information in the article comes from his books. I am
overwhelmed with gratitude to Paul Martin Brown and Stan Folsom who kindly allowed me to
reprint the pictures from their wonderful new book on wild orchids. Thanks, too, Dr. Patrick Leary,
Southern Nevada plant expert for his help with the local orchids and for actually showing them to
us. I am grateful to Dr. Wes Niles of the UNLV Herbarium for the time he spent with me at the
herbarium as well as to Kathryn Birgyy for her help with the database. At UNR, I am indebted to
Arnold Tiehm and Christy Malone for information about the herbarium. Thanks to Gina Glenn of
the US Fish and Wildlife Service for allowing me to take part in the Spiranthes infernalis orchid count.
I much appreciate the input by e-mail from James Coyner of the Spiranthes diluvialis recovery team
and to James Morefield of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, as well as to Dr. Lucy Jordan and
to Marilyn Light, Chairperson of North American Regional Orchid Specialist Group, In addition, I
appreciate all the leads from David McAdoo, leader of the Native Orchid Group, a great
organization.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, Paul Martin & Stan Folsom. The Wild Orchids of North America, North of Mexico. University
Press of Florida. Gainesville. 2003.
Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, New
York. 1993.
Coleman, Ronald A.. The Wild Orchids of Arizona and New Mexico. Comstock Publishing Associates,
Cornell University Press. Ithaca and London. 2002.
The Wild Orchids of California. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press.
Ithaca and London. 1995.
Correll, Donovan Stewart. Native Orchids of North America. Stanford University Press. Stanford,
California. 1978.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee. Flora of North America North of Mexico, Volume
26.Oxford University Press. New York and Oxford. 2002
Keenan, Philip E. Wild Orchids Across North America. Timber Press. Portland. 1998.
Van Der Cingel, N.A. An Atlas of Orchid Pollination: America, Africa, Asia and Australia. AA Balkema
Publishers. Rotterdam. 2001.
Carol Siegel
8601 Robinson Ridge Drive,Las Vegas, NV 89117
growlove@worldnet.att.net
18
Above:
Corallorhiza maculata, C. striata var. striata, C. striata var. vreelandii
Epipactis gigantea; Listera convallarioides; L. cordata
Over, page 20:
Piperia unalascensis; Platanthera dilatata var. albiflora, P. dilatata var. leucostachys,
P. sparsiflora, P. stricta; Spiranthes diluvialis
S. infernalis, S. porrifolia, S. romanzoffiana
Photos by P.M. Brown; S. infernalis by C. Siegel
19
20
Siegal: THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA
Corallorhiza maculata Corallorhiza striata Epipactis gigantea
Listera convallarioides Listera cordata Piperia unalascensis
21
Siegal: THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA
Platanthera dilatata Platanthera sparsiflora Platanthera stricta
Spiranthes diluvialis
Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes romanzoffiana
22
Folsom: ORCHID MEMORIES
ORCHID MEMORIES
Stan Folsom
Orchids can subtly seduce someone with their rarity, allure and beauty. Some
like the quest to see as many native species as one can in the United States, therefore
falling victim to the rarity of some of our native orchids. Others are attracted to
orchids for the cache attached to them and they are trapped by the orchid's allure.
Lastly, some just enjoy looking at these amazing specimens, drinking in their often-
breathtaking beauty and so they, too, are snared by the orchids into a lifetime of
devotion.
This compendium of orchid memories details my journey with words and

paintings about these plants and their companion plants in the wild. As is every artist's
right, I have chosen to paint these examples partly from memories of the encounter,
partly relying on photographic materials and partly from that indefinable something
that prods every artist to create his or her vision of the world. I hope you find the
experience pleasurable and worthwhile.
Arethusa bulbosa, the dragon mouth orchid, dots northern bogs with splashes
of brilliant magenta pink, lavender, or blue, and sometimes white, as far as the eye can
see. I first encountered these little gems in a boggy piece of pasture at Goose Rocks in
Maine. I also saw hundreds of them while on a trip to Newfoundland. They seem to
sprig the blanket of the open bogs with their full range of colors, luring me to explore
in ever-widening searches that were rewarded with spectacular plants.
This painting is a memory of such a bog I found near Schoodic Point on the
northern Maine coast. Carved out of the encroaching woods, it was a soggy
exploration as I hopped from hummock to hummock trying to avoid the chilly waters
that pervaded the bog. In the midst of the spruce along the perimeter of the bog, the
tamaracks were just coming into leaf, framing the picture in my mind. Blooming with
the Arethusa I saw the early marsh violet which provided my picture with a dazzling
contrast to the brightly color orchids. With all these elements in place it was easy to
set to work to record my impressions of this encounter.
23
Arethusa bulbosa
Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens
24
Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens, the large yellow lady's-slipper, is widespread

through the United States and Canada, but this clump grows in the duff along a
streambed in southern Maine amidst the ferns that will later grow to cover the
orchid's foliage. I first became acquainted with this handsome member of the Orchid
family as a young child wandering the woods near my parents' summer cottage. I was
not aware of what I was looking at until many years later when I was able to
accompany Paul Martin Brown up to Caribou, Maine (which is several hundreds of
miles from the cottage). We were taken to a woodland that had upwards of a
thousand blooming plants propagated there by Martin Rasmussen. As this orchid
transplants fairly easily he gave us a clump to take back to the cottage where it has
faithfully produced blooms each year since.
That experience awakened my recollections of seeing these orchids when I was

a child. Paul and I hunted for them then and relocated my original site. We searched
farther afield and found quite a few in the area. I was especially taken with the ones
that grew along the streambed so they became my inspiration for the orchid memory.
Calypso bulbosa var. americana, the eastern fairy-slipper, comes up on the mossy
forest floor under northern white cedars, sparking the gloomy bog with their jewel-
like colors. Those in the painting are a memory from northern Vermont in a shadowy
bog deep in the woods on Mr. Shield's property.
Mr. Shields has a handsome farmhouse that sits opposite the site on a sweep of
lawn and farmyard. After going to his house to apprise him of our desire to trek into
his woods across the road to see the Calypso, we arm ourselves with insect repellent
and begin our quest. The trail can be sloppy if the spring has been a wet one. There
are riverlets twining through the hummocky woods. Mainly northern white cedar
grow in these woods. In the gloom of the shady knell we finally stumble upon a
Calypso.
Its diminutive size has made it difficult to spot but once I have seen one I can
more easily hunt for others. The time in searching is finally rewarded with a small
group of these spectacular blooms growing beside an uprooted cedar, its exposed
roots framing the scene. Hence my inspiration for this orchid memory.
Continuing my remembrances, I saw relatives of Calypso bulbosa on the West

Coast all the way to Alaska. Throughout this region you can find Calypso bulbosa var.
occidentalis. It can be found blooming under the California redwoods, in the Olympic
Mountains of Washington, and even into the far reaches of southern Alaska, where I
found a cluster still in bloom in July. I have even seen the white-flowered form.
25
Calypso bulbosa
var. americana
Cypripedium
montanum
26
When Paul and I and our two Pomeranians made a journey across country in 1999
we saw many lovely orchids in bloom as well as some that might be classified as small,
insignificant specimens. Many will argue that there are no small, insignificant orchids
but I have a harder time enjoying some of the Piperias that are so prevalent in the
West. I will grant that some of them were tall and magnificently flowered but they are
not my idea of a spectacular orchid to paint. On out return to the East, we traveled
through the province of British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies. We stopped
often to botanize the roadsides and were rewarded with discovering a spectacular
orchid. Paul spotted the clump as I was admiring the rocky hillsides and tumbling
streams that cascaded down from the mountaintops.
Paul called to me to come and see his discovery. Cypripedium montanum, the
mountain lady's-slippers were peeking out beneath towering Douglas firs in these
mountainous regions north of Radium Hot Springs, which is in British Columbia. My
mind was imprinted with the majesty of the scene and when my creative urges
prompted me to record it in 2002, the scene easily materialized. It was near this spot
where I discovered the pad leaf orchid, (Platanthera orbiculata) down a trail I followed
with the dogs that descended deep into the woods. Paul told me that these orchids are
very rare in that part of the world.
Just year, my partner, Paul Martin Brown, and I bundled the dogs and our cat
into the car and set out for Arkansas to see if we could find a very rare orchid,
Calopogon oklahomensis. We had directions from a fellow enthusiast who knew of the
existence of a remnant prairie where they could be found. We arrived at the spot and
found the prairie alive with colorful plants but the orchid seemed to be non-existent.
While Paul searched the first patch, I drove slowly along the roadside hunting for a
telltale spot of magenta that would mark the presence of the orchid. My quest did not
produce any evidence of the plants. When I returned to the section Paul had explored
without success, I traipsed all the way to the farthest extremity with the same result.
Returning to check on the animals left in the car, I stumbled upon a cluster of the
orchids blooming below the taller prairie plants. No wonder they were so hard to spot
from the highway or in the actual prairie with all the competition from the other
larger prairie plants.
Crossing to the other side of the road where there was more prairie to explore,
I gave the dogs a short break and scrambled up into the prairie with them when an
18-wheeler bore down upon us. There, Calopogon oklahomensis, the Oklahoma grass-
pink, came up in wild profusion throughout the remnant railroad prairie. Calling Paul
over to my discovery, we found several hundred plants in bloom that day in early
May. Blooming with them were prairie coreopsis, the green prairie milkweed, and
spiderwort.
27
Calopogon oklahomensis
Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis
28
I was inspired to fill my picture with as many examples of the colors of the
Calopogons as I could. The other prairie plants could not be left out of the memory
so I squeezed in as many of the lovely prairie plants as well. The hazy sky with the
clouds scudding through it evokes the constant wind that blew across the landscape
while we were there.
Paul took a trip to Alaska with a group of fellow enthusiasts one summer. He
was so enamored of the area that he wanted to revisit the state. This time I was able
to accompany the group. I loved being able to scout out orchids as the others
photographed. One of the sites the group wanted to visit was on Kodiak Island off
the coast of Alaska. The day the flight was booked was overcast and the trip looked in
jeopardy. Our plane took off and we were soon enveloped in fog and mist. The pilot
expressed his doubts about landing as we dropped so precipitously close to the ocean
that we could suddenly see waves beneath us through the break in the cloud cover.
He pulled up sharply and tried another run toward the island. After two shots he
reluctantly turned about and we were once again back in Anchorage. With a, "We'll try
it again this afternoon," the pilot allowed his passengers to disembark. Needless to say
we were able to make a landing and had the amazing experience of being in a natural
wonderland. It is largely unspoiled by civilization and commercialization. We had a
wonderful guide who took us about the area. My most vivid recollections were of a
hillside pasture that had sweeping views out to the ocean below the heavy clouds.
This pasture had buffalo wandering around, as they will fight the Kodiak bears that
try to attack them unlike what ordinary cattle would do. The carpet of the pasture was
alive with wildflowers and orchids. One could hardly walk for all the varieties of
blooming plants that crowded the grassy slopes.
Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis, the Kodiak orchid, grows in abundance on

these bluffs overlooking the sea. I painted the memory of the glowering sky and the
lush landscape with these orchids, the scarlet painted cups, the bunchberries, the Sitka
lupine, and the chocolate lilies scattered everywhere. Only the roaming buffalo are
missing.
Platanthera ciliaris, the orange fringed orchis, grows from southern New
England to Florida and west to eastern Texas. These glorious plants are from a
roadside ditch in northern Florida growing with cinnamon fern, brown-eyed
coreopsis, and pink sabatia. We traveled the short distance from our Florida home to
see these plants. They bloomed in a sub-division of middle class homes in the wet
ditch that ran alongside the roadway. They perched on the banks leading up into
people's yards. It was fortunate these homeowners did not feel inclined to mow their
lawns right down to the edges of the road for they would have eradicated the entire
population.
29
Platanthera ciliaris
Platanthera leucophaea
30
Here in Florida, the highway departments have been very cooperative about their
mowing times. In Goethe State Forest they have stopped mowing a wide swath and
only mow the immediate edge of the roadway. Once a year they mow the entire sweep
of the roadsides to keep down the woody material. Since this was instituted several
new orchids for that stretch of road have shown up. On Florida's Turnpike for the
last few years they have stopped mowing off the spikes of Sacoila lanceolata until the
plants have set seed. They will even mow around a single plant with those enormous
gang mowers that they use. By such actions as these and those of the subdivisions
homeowners I had a chance to be inspired to record these orchid glories that I
otherwise might not have seen.
Platanthera leucophaea, the eastern prairie fringed orchis, is such an erratic

bloomer that it was hard to catch in flower. These striking plants were seen at
Chiwaukee Prairie in southern Wisconsin in July blooming with coneflowers and
prairie phlox. We had set out from Boston in the heat of early summer and traveling
west came into the Chicago area and located suitable lodging. The next morning, in
the early rising mists, we were in the prairie searching for the plants. They were easy
to spot, as they are tall and majestic rising above the prairie grasses and wildflowers. I
was not able to paint them on the spot but I did make a watercolor of chicory and
black-eyed Susans and soapworts that I collected along a roadside near the motel. The
next summer when Paul led a group to see the eastern prairie fringed orchis, which
had stubbornly refused to bloom that year, I painted a group of the Michigan lilies
that grew along the edge of the prairie. It wasn't until after I had visited southern
Manitoba on a hot and dusty July morning to see hundreds of the closely related
Platanthera praeclara dotting the open prairie that I had enough inspiration to attempt a
painting of my experiences. I chose to remember Chiwaukee because it was cool and
refreshing that early morning when I first saw Platanthera leucophaea.
Let me conclude my essay by assuring you that I will continue to gather

impressions of my quests for orchids as I explore our rich countryside for more of the
exquisite plants that have taken my fancy. Paul and I will be traveling this month to
locate the very rare Spiranthes parksii in Jasper County, Texas. Our two dogs will
accompany us as usual. Possibly this experience will bloom in my imagination as I
continue to record my impressions on paper.
A limited number of full-color, 16X20, matted prints (with optional framing) are
available from the artist. Contact Stan Folsom at naorchid@aol.com or at 10896 SW 90th
Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 for prices and availability.
31
NEW TAXA
Brown & Stewart: TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS
Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus

purpurea P.M. Brown P.M. Brown
J. Fowler
Malaxis spicata forma

trifoliata P.M. Brown
Calopogon barbatus forma Calopogon oklahomensis forma

albiflorus P.M. Brown albiflorus P.M. Brown
D. McAdoo
32
NEW TAXA
NEW TAXA: FIVE DISTINCTIVE NEW FORMS

Paul Martin Brown
Four new color forms and one growth form of our native orchids are
herewith presented. Two with white-flowered forms, two distinctive-colored
forms, and a distinctive growth form are proposed. In all five cases the plants
remain consistent each year, and in several cases the color forms are
widespread throughout the range of the species.
Calopogon barbatus forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, North Carolina: Brunswick County, Green Swamp May
2003 (holotype: photograph D. McAdoo. North American Native Orchid Journal 9:
32. 2003.)
Forma floribus albus conspeciebus diversa.
Differs from other forms of the species in its pure white flowers.
Calopogon barbatus is a widespread grass-pink throughout much of the
Southeastern Coastal Plain and for the most part is consistent in a rich magenta
coloring. Upon rare occasion a paler plant may be seen. White-flowered forms
have only been noted twice, both in 2003. David McAdoo's sighting of a white-
flowered form in the Green Swamp of southeastern North Carolina provides
the type for the forma albiflorus.
Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, Georgia: Charlton County, St. George, roadside scrape,
April 12, 2003 Brown 2309 (holotype: GAS) photograph P.M. Brown. North
American Native Orchid Journal 9: 31. 2003).
Forma floribus lilacinus conspeciebus diversa.
Differs from other forms of the species in its lilac-colored flowers.
Growing in southeastern Georgia, not far from the Florida border, are
several hundred Calopogon barbatus and within this wonderful stand are several
plants that are a clear pale lilac in color. The little roadside scrape area is most
remarkable for is has not only the Calopogon barbatus, but also C. pallidus, C.
tuberosus (both of which have white-flowered forms there), Cleistes divaricata,
Pogonia ophioglossoides, and several species of carnivores including pitcher plants,
sundews, bladderworts, and butterworts. And that is just one day in April!
33
Brown & Stewart: TWONEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS
NEWTAXA
Calopogon oklahomensis forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, Arkansas: Prairie County, railroad prairie May 5, 2003
(holotype: photograph P.M. Brown. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32.
2003.
Forma floribus albus conspeciebus diversa.
Differs from other forms of the species in its pure white flowers.
Recently described in 1995 by Doug Goldman, the Oklahoma grass-pink is a
small but colorful orchid of the south-central prairies. The typical color of the
species can vary from deep royal purple through magenta and pale pinks.
Occasionally mixed within this array are pure white-flowered plants. The prairie
remnant where the type is located is a narrow strip along a railroad in eastern
Arkansas.
Malaxis spicata forma trifoliata P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, Florida: Levy County, Goethe State Forest, wooded
swamp October 14, 2003 Brown 2315 (holotype: FLAS) photograph P.M.
Brown. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32. 2003.
Forma trifolia conspeciebus diversa.
Differs from other forms of the species in having three leaves.
Several species of eastern North American Malaxis that are unifoliate have been
found with two leaves and have been so named. This is the first example of a
bifoliate Malaxis with three leaves. Several plants of varying size were found
with three leaves growing in the same swampy woods in north-central Florida.
Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma purpurea P.M. Brown forma nov.

TYPE: United States, South Carolina: Berkley County, August 2003 (Holotype:
photograph J. Fowler. North American Native Orchid Journal 9: 32. 2003).
Forma floribus purpureus conspeciebus diversa.
Differs from other forms of the species in its purple flowers.
This unusual color form is perhaps the most interesting of all of those
proposed in this publication. Throughout all of Florida and in the few location
in adjacent Georgia and Alabama plants of the crestless plume orchids are
typically yellow/purple/green/black in coloration. Many of the plants found in
South Carolina and Louisiana are this handsome rosy-purple in color. When
completing his treatment for Flora of North America North of Mexico Gustavo
Romero (Orchid Herbarium of Oakes Ames) concluded that they are all the
same widespread species. A pure yellow-flowered form, P. ecristata forma flava
P.M. Brown, is also known
34
TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS
Paul Martin Brown & Scott Stewart

While searching for plants of Platanthera chapmanii hybrid swarms were
noted in both the Apalachicola National Forest and Osceola National Forest in
the panhandle of Florida (Folsom, 1984). Both of these hybrids appear to be
frequent when the parents are found growing together. Several earlier
collections labeled as P. cristata, P. chapmanii, and P. ciliaris have often proven to
be the hybrids. Spur length, orifice opening and column shape are all helpful in
determining both the species and the hybrids.
Platanthera xosceola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.

Hybrid e Platanthera chapmanii et P. ciliaris; floribus, calcaribus, et columinus
intermedius
Hybrid between Platanthera chapmanii and P. ciliaris ; flowers, spur, and column
intermediate
TYPE: U.S.A. Florida: Baker County. 27 July 2003. Experimental Forest at
Osceola National Forest along highway US-90 west of the town of Olustee. G.
Anglin & S.L. Stewart SLS #121 (holotype: FLAS) photograph p. 36.
Platanthera xapalachicola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.

Hybrid e Platanthera chapmanii et P. cristata; floribus, calcaribus, et columinus
intermedius
Hybrid between Platanthera chapmanii and P. cristata; flowers, spur, and column
intermediate
TYPE: U.S.A. Florida: Liberty County. 26 July 2003. Apalachicola National
Forest along Forest Road 123 (Cotton Landing Loop Road) off State Road
379 out of Sumatra, FL G. Anglin & S.L. Stewart SLS #122 (holotype: FLAS)
photograph p. 36.
Literature Cited:
Folsom, J.P. 1984. Reinterpretation of the status and relationships of the yellow-fringed
orchid complex. Orquidea (Mexico) 9(2): 337-345.
The authors thank Guy Anglin, botanist for the National Forest for his cooperation and Bill
& Pam Anderson for assistance in the field in ANF.
Paul Martin Brown, 10896 SW 90th Terrace, Ocala, FL 34481 naorchid@aol.com
Scott L. Stewart, Plant Restoration, Conservation and Propagation Biotechnology Program
Environmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida, PO Box 110675,
Gainesville, Florida 32611 slstewar@ufl.edu
35
P. xapalachicola
P. ciliaris
P. chapmanii
P. xosceola P. cristata
36
Brown: UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII
UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII, ITS

ORIGINS AND HYBRIDS
Paul Martin Brown
Although geographically restricted to the southern portion of the southeastern

United States, Platanthera chapmanii (Small) Luer emend. Folsom, Chapman’s fringed
orchis, is an important component of the summer-flowering orchid flora of the Gulf
Coastal Plain and northeastern Florida (Folsom, 1984). Historically known from East
Texas, much of northern Florida, and two sites in southeastern Georgia, today it can
be best found in the Apalachicola and Osceola National Forests of Florida.
Occasionally, other small sites in northern Florida persist. The species is absent from
the eastern half of the Panhandle and the Marion and Polk County records for Florida
appear to be Channell’s hybrid fringed orchis, P. xchannellii Folsom. Only a few
sites remain in East Texas and the Georgia locale is based upon an historic collection.
No collections have ever been made from the area between Apalachicola and East
Texas.
Understanding this species and its relationships to the closely related orange
fringed orchis, Platanthera ciliaris (L.) Lindley, and orange crested orchis, P. cristata
(Michaux) Lindley, is greatly simplified if the observer can see all three taxa in one
field session. This can only be accomplished in the Osceola National Forest, for the
orange fringed orchis is historical and apparently absent from any of the other
known localities for Chapman’s fringed orchis. Liggio & Liggio (1999) clearly state
that orange fringed orchis has never been found within any of the Texas locales for
Chapman’s fringed orchis. Conversely, the orange crested orchis is often found
growing within or nearby many of the Chapman’s fringed orchis sites, especially in
eastern Florida.
Folsom aptly demonstrated in his 1984 publication that the origins of

Platanthera chapmanii were most likely an ancient hybridization of orange fringed
orchis and orange crested orchis. Therefore Chapman’s fringed orchis appears to
be intermediate in size and characters between the two ancestors. Over the years it
has evolved into a stable, reproducing species with a very distinctive column. At the
same time the contemporary hybrid of orange fringed orchis and orange crested
37
orchis, P. xchannellii, occurs in rare situations when both parents are present. It, too, is
intermediate between the parents, but the column is unlike that of Chapman’s
fringed orchis. One of the best helps in the initial determination of plants in the field
is observing what predominates in the area. If both the orange fringed orchis and
the orange crested orchis are present and only a few intermediates are to be found
then they, in all probability, would be the hybrid, Platanthera xchannellii. If the majority
of plants appear intermediate between orange fringed orchis and orange crested
orchis and only a few of either of the latter species are present then the observer
needs to look carefully at the shape of the column, and most likely the majority of
plants will be Chapman’s fringed orchis.
Characters that help in determining which species are present include

geographic location, diameter of raceme, size of flower, length and position of spur,
and shape of orifice. To simply state that the orange fringed orchis is larger,
Chapman’s fringed orchis, intermediate in size, and orange crested orchis,
smaller, has led to much confusion. For many orchid enthusiasts this, although not
stated, implied overall size, especially height. That is not accurate and height should
never be taken into account. All three species can grow from 10 or 15 cm to, in the
case of Chapman’s fringed orchis and orange fringed orchis, over a meter in
height! When size comparisons are made they refer to the diameter of the raceme and
measurements of the individual flowers. Even the overall height of the flowering
raceme is not a good criterion for identification. Because of the ancestral parentage of
Chapman’s fringed orchis, plants can easily favor the overall raceme shape of either
parent, but the raceme diameter appears to remain constant. The following
illustrations will assist in understanding this comparison.
In addition to understanding the species, orchid observers need to be aware of

the hybrids that are involved in this complex (Brown, 2002; Brown & Stewart, 2003).
These hybrids that are readily involved include:
• Platanthera xapalachicola P.M. Brown & S. Stewart
(Chapman’s fringed orchis x orange crested orchis
• Platanthera xchannellii Folsom
(orange fringed orchis x orange crested orchis)
• Platanthera xosceola P.M. Brown & S. Stewart
(Chapman’s fringed orchis x orange fringed orchis)
Relationships among this group are best summed up in the following diagram.
The white-flowered species, Platanthera blephariglottis (Willdenow) Lindley, northern
white fringed orchis, P. conspicua (Nash) P.M. Brown, southern white fringed
38
orchis, and P. integrilabia Correll, monkey-face orchis, are included in this diagram
for completeness in the group.
P. chapmanii
P. xosceola
P. xapalachicola
P. cristata P. xchannellii P. ciliaris
P. xcanbyi P. xbicolor
P. blephariglottis
P. xbeckneri P. xlueri
P. conspicua
P. integrilabia
Platanthera xapalachicola is locally common in northern Florida where both

parents frequently grow together. They usually occur as individuals and may appear
within stands of Chapman’s fringed orchis as smaller flowered, more slender plants
or within stands of orange crested orchis as larger flowered, more robust
individuals. The hooked column of Chapman’s fringed orchis is usually dominant
but the spur length and position is intermediate.
Platanthera xchannellii and Chapman’s fringed orchis can be difficult to tell

apart. One of the best ways is to look about and see which other species are growing
nearby. If all the plants observed are the same, and within the range of Chapman’s
fringed orchis, it is most likely Chapman’s fringed orchis, whereas if it is a colony
of mixed species and only a few intermediate plants are present it is more likely to be
P. xchannellii.
Platanthera xosceola is known only from Osceola National Forest where it is the
only place documented that both parents are found growing together. Plants of the
hybrid usually occur as individuals and may appear within stands of Chapman’s
fringed orchis as larger flowered, more robust plants with decidedly longer spurs or
within stands of orange fringed orchis as smaller more compactly flowered
39
individuals. The hooked column of Chapman’s fringed orchis is not as dominant as

in P. xapalachicola.
Literature Cited:
Brown, P.M. 2002. Revalidation of Platanthera conspicua. North American Native Orchid Journal 8: 3–14.
Brown, P.M. and S. L. Stewart. 2003. Two new Platanthera hybrids. North American Native Orchid
Journal 9: 35-36.
Folsom, J.P. 1984. Reinterpretation of the status and relationships of the yellow-fringed orchid
complex. Orquidea (Mexico) 9(2): 337-345.
Liggio, J. and A.O. Liggio. 1999. Wild Orchids of Texas. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press.
Paul Martin Brown

10896 SW 90th Terrace
Ocala, FL 34481
naorchid@aol.com
40
Empiricist: THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST
ORCHID EXPLORATION FOR THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST

The Slow Empiricist
It has been almost a year since I have thought about writing an Empiricist
Column. I have been busy in the field exploring and finding new sites. I have also
been busy with my other interests. As I grow older it is harder to do all the things I
want to do in a given day or week.
This column is about setting priorities. A good orchid enthusiast knows his
or her limitations and provides for them. I remember many years ago traveling with
a group of fellow orchid pursuers. One of the women in the group had difficulty
navigating rough terrain. She elected to stay behind so that she would not slow the
progress of the others. She and I stayed together and explored the immediate
territory and found many things to delight our fancy. The others saw more exotic
territory but we both felt that our explorations had been just as satisfying.
On another adventure, one member of the group was very uneasy about
heights and pushed herself to her limit of endurance. She achieved a new milestone
for her own personal accomplishment and was rewarded with new sights and new
plants in the rarified atmosphere.
A few years back an older gentleman marveled at the ease with which Paul
Martin Brown flung himself down upon the ground to photograph an orchid. I
remember him saying that in a few years it would not be so easy to get around. This
did not stop this gentleman from participating in the excursion nor did it impede
him from getting his photographs. It took him longer than he would have liked and
he had some difficulty getting down to his quarry but he managed.
Now I am plagued with aches and pains as I go about my daily life and I
have trouble sitting for a long while in a car without getting out and having a
stretch along the roadside or at a rest area. I still am not going to curtail my
41
explorations because of these failings. I have made some concessions to aging but I
also have made some adjustments to my exploring patterns.
I now have found that a small pillow behind my back or one under my
thighs while I ride makes the trip much more comfortable. When I drive, I can
adjust the power seat so it makes the journey more comfortable and if we are on a
highway I can set cruise control to relax my ankle, which aches after an hour of
driving.
Since I have to stop more frequently to stretch out my cramped legs, I have
begun to look for likely habitat to explore before I stop. That way I get to indulge
in my favorite activity and I have actually found some orchids growing in new
territory that just happened to look promising.
The purpose of this column has been to show you that you can still derive
pleasure in your orchid explorations even as ailments and the aging process
interfere. By being flexible and open to other possibilities, you can still get great
satisfaction from your orchid forays. Good hunting!
Your Slow Empiricist
42
NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHIDS BOOKS IN

PROGRESS
a news report
Following the recent publication of Wild Orchids of Florida, Brown &

Folsom (2002), The Wild Orchids of Arizona and New Mexico, Coleman (2002) and
The Wild Orchids of North America, north of Mexico (2003), three additional new
books on the native orchids of the United States are well underway and will be
published within the next year or so.
From Westcliffe Publishers for Spring 2004
Wild Love Affair: Essence of Florida's Native Orchids by Connie Bransilver
From the University Press of Florida:
Wild Orchids of the Southeastern United States, north of Peninsular Florida by Paul
Martin Brown and Stan Folsom for Fall 2004
And still in preparation:
From the University Press of South Carolina:
Wild Orchids of South Carolina, a popular natural history by Jim Fowler for 2005
Connie Bransilver's fine-art

photographs and insightful text
seamlessly blend the science of
orchids with her passion and love
for these most precious of all
flowers. This long-awaited
volume is a beautiful addition to
anyone's orchid library.
ISBN: 1-56579-501-6
PRICE: $40
HARDCOVER 9 x 12"
128 PAGES
120 PHOTOGRAPHS
43
Siegel: AN ORCHID TREASURE
AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND AN ORCHID

TREASURE
Carol Siegel
It was an unlikely place to find an orchid—or an orchid club for that

matter. Hot and dry, just nine miles from Death Valley Junction, the ground
was so thickly covered with salt that it looked like winter snow. Fed by a vast
network of underground springs, the ground bounced like foam rubber when
we walked on it.
On June 25, 2003, seven hardy club conservation enthusiasts braved the
intense summer heat to participate in the experience of a lifetime, the orchid
count of Spiranthes infernalis at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. (Mike
Lawless, Dan Mumau, Liz Leone, John Haydukavitch, Carol Siegel, Diana
Smith, and Steve Ninemire). Spiranthes infernalis is found there and nowhere else
in the world. We got up at dawn and drove 90 miles to make sure that the
population of 10,000 endemic orchids was safe. Invasive weeds, like the
Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens), a noxious perennial herb, probably
introduced in hay from Eurasia, now covers over 500 acres where there were
none in 1990. The fear is that the introduced weeds will squeeze out the rare
and exotic orchid.
The 22,000 acres of Meadows are protected as a national wildlife refuge

because they contain a greater concentration of unique species than any other
location in the United States—13 threatened and endangered species and at
least 24 plants and animals found nowhere else in the world- including our
orchid. It is one of the few natural desert oases in the Southwest, providing
habitat for 220 species of migratory birds.
44
We entered through an unpaved road, dusty and deserted looking. In the

distance, Crystal Reservoir, one of 40 springs, sparkled in the shimmering heat
of the morning, a blue lake in the crusty earth. We met Gina Glenn of the Fish
and Wildlife Service, a charming young lady who led the count. With her were
several people from Kew Gardens in England, collecting seed from the unique
meadow plants as part of their conservation effort. We walked a half-mile
raised boardwalk following a narrow stream filled with Baltic rush, Lizard’s Tail
and reeds in the midst of the arid terrain.
Unexpectedly, the boardwalk ended in a pool of clear, blue-green water,

Crystal Spring, with a sand floor and bright green algae. The 85 degree water,
flowing at 3000 gallons a minute, was part of a vast underground water system
with 30 springs seeping “fossil” water believed to have entered the water
system underground thousands of years ago. At one time, the whole area was
an interconnected series of lakes and springs, but the receding glaciers at the
end of the ice age left Ash Meadows an isolated oasis in the middle of the
desert. Swimming in the water were tiny pupfish, one of four endangered
species of fish in the refuge. As we turned around to go back, we saw our first
look at our orchid, sticking up like birthday candles in the ground.
Spiranthes infernalis, also called the Ash Meadow’s ladies’-tresses, was

considered Spiranthes romanzoffiana until 1989. Spiranthes come from two Greek
words meaning “coil” and “flowers” for the coiled or spiraled flower spikes of
this genus. Because of the supposed resemblance of the spirals to some
hairstyles, Spiranthes are commonly called “ladies’-tresses.” Spiranthes infernalis,
Ash Meadows ladies’-tresses, was named in 1989 by Charles J. Sheviak and is
endemic to the alkaline, moist soils of Ash Meadows, meaning it is ONLY
found there, making it very special. It is similar to other Spiranthes with many
small, white, spiraling orchid flowers. In 1990, populations worldwide were
estimated at between 730-1160 individuals. Until last year, global counts for
species were around 1400 individuals. Surveys last year estimated 10,000
individuals and this year, happily, the survey we took part in found 13,500
plants. Our little orchid is doing okay!
We were given a map and told to each take a 10 feet swath and walk the
length and breadth of the area, recording orchids as we went. The morning
was spent cutting a path through mesquite and ash groves and saltbush and
creosote, the spiky branches crunching as we pushed our way through the
brush. Crushed and crunched ourselves, we stopped for lunch, and then Gina
took us to another spot, more open and accessible, looking much like the tall
grasses of the African savanna. Wending our way along the small meandering
45
stream, we excitedly found our Spiranthes, 14 inches tall, slender and spiraled,
little birthday candles. We, who live in the shadow of the architectural wonder
that is Las Vegas, with its glitz and its glamour, were thrilled to see this little
survivor, beating all odds by making it in this strange and exotic environment.
Thrilled, too, we were, to have made this effort to save our very special native
orchid.
Bibliography
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. US Fish and Wildlife Service, handout.
Nevada National Parks and Tourist Guide-Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.americansouthwest.net/nevada/ash_meadows/wildlife_refuge.ht\
46

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NORTH AMERICAN

NATIVE ORCHID JOURNAL

THE NATIVE ORCHIDS OF NEVADA

An orchid was considered to be in Nevada if it was listed in herbariums (dried plant

CORALLORHIZA STRIATA var. STRIATA and var. VREELANDII

PLATANTHERA (syn. HABENARIA)

PLATANTHERA (SYN. HABENARIA) SPARSIFLORA

fragrance, a sparkling, shimmering appearance of the inflorescence, extrafloral glucose

Ash Meadows in Nye County is an unlikely

The following orchids are mentioned in the Flora as being in Nevada:

Habenaria sparsiflora (syn. Platanthera)

Platanthera (Habenaria) dilatata (var. not mentioned)

Platanthera dilatata (no variety listed):

Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys:

Corallorhiza maculata Corallorhiza striata Epipactis gigantea

Listera convallarioides Listera cordata Piperia unalascensis

Platanthera dilatata Platanthera sparsiflora Platanthera stricta

Spiranthes porrifolia Spiranthes romanzoffiana

This compendium of orchid memories details my journey with words and

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens

Cypripedium parviflorum var. pubescens, the large yellow lady's-slipper, is widespread

That experience awakened my recollections of seeing these orchids when I was

Continuing my remembrances, I saw relatives of Calypso bulbosa on the West

Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis

Dactylorhiza aristata var. kodiakensis, the Kodiak orchid, grows in abundance on

Platanthera leucophaea, the eastern prairie fringed orchis, is such an erratic

Let me conclude my essay by assuring you that I will continue to gather

Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus

Malaxis spicata forma

Calopogon barbatus forma Calopogon oklahomensis forma

NEW TAXA: FIVE DISTINCTIVE NEW FORMS

Calopogon barbatus forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov.

Calopogon barbatus forma lilacinus P.M. Brown forma nov.

Calopogon oklahomensis forma albiflorus P.M. Brown forma nov.

Malaxis spicata forma trifoliata P.M. Brown forma nov.

Pteroglossaspis ecristata forma purpurea P.M. Brown forma nov.

TWO NEW PLATANTHERA HYBRIDS

Paul Martin Brown & Scott Stewart

Platanthera xosceola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.

Platanthera xapalachicola P.M. Brown & S.L. Stewart nothsp. nov.

UNDERSTANDING PLATANTHERA CHAPMANII, ITS

Paul Martin Brown

Although geographically restricted to the southern portion of the southeastern

Folsom aptly demonstrated in his 1984 publication that the origins of

Characters that help in determining which species are present include

In addition to understanding the species, orchid observers need to be aware of

P. cristata P. xchannellii P. ciliaris

Platanthera xapalachicola is locally common in northern Florida where both

Platanthera xchannellii and Chapman’s fringed orchis can be difficult to tell

individuals. The hooked column of Chapman’s fringed orchis is not as dominant as

Paul Martin Brown

ORCHID EXPLORATION FOR THE OLDER ENTHUSIAST

Your Slow Empiricist

NORTH AMERICAN NATIVE ORCHIDS BOOKS IN

Following the recent publication of Wild Orchids of Florida, Brown &

Connie Bransilver's fine-art

AN UNLIKELY PLACE TO FIND AN ORCHID

It was an unlikely place to find an orchid—or an orchid club for that

The 22,000 acres of Meadows are protected as a national wildlife refuge

We entered through an unpaved road, dusty and deserted looking. In the

Unexpectedly, the boardwalk ended in a pool of clear, blue-green water,

Spiranthes infernalis, also called the Ash Meadow’s ladies’-tresses, was

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