“An examination of (orchids’) many beautiful contrivances will exalt the whole vegetable kingdom in most persons’ estimation.”
— Charles Darwin, 1877, On the Fertilization of Orchids by Insects
Rather than using such calm, measured Victorian prose, Darwin might have said: “Holy cow! Orchids are among the coolest plants on earth! Their flowers are gorgeous, and feature a never-ending supply of fascinating adaptations for anyone who studies them.” Or something like that.
You can find this terrestrial orchid species (as opposed to epiphytic, or growing on some other plant) growing wild along the Atlantic coastal plain from southern New Jersey south to Florida, and then west along the Gulf into Louisiana. It loves fire-adapted pinelands, and is a fairly typical component of damp savannas. This is a sun-loving species, most commonly seen in habitats that are wet for a good portion of the year. The plant produces a slender, smooth stem, about 2 feet tall, from a cluster of knotty roots. A single, strap-shaped leaf will be found about half-way up the stem, with a single, magnificent flower at the very top, or very rarely, with two or three blossoms. The flower bears three dramatic sepals arising in the “back,” green to purplish-brown, and up to about 3 inches long. These sepals may be straight or curling. Two white petals project forward, closely covering a pink, trough-shaped lip below, such that the opening to the pollen and stigma appears somewhat hidden. The genus name for this plant comes from a Greek word meaning “closed,” an allusion to the architecture of the petals and lip. Bumblebees are probably the most important pollinators for this showy species, which is reported to have a floral fragrance something like a daffodil. As with many other orchid species, the flowers, once opened, tend to last a relatively long time before fading and falling. Pollination results in the formation of a dry capsule — the situation with all orchids — which contains thousands of tiny seeds.
To someone not knowing better, orchids might somehow seem to have a delicate and vulnerable nature. Not so: orchids’ adaptations have allowed them to evolve in a wide variety of ecosystems across the world, including the Southeastern USA. That said, many native orchids are declining in large part because of urbanization and habitat loss. So if you see one, enjoy it where it is. Don’t pick it. In fact, please don’t pick any wildflowers. Mother Nature thanks you.
John Nelson is the curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information on this service, visit www.herbarium.org or call (803) 777-8196.
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