Sixth Orchid of the Season and Others

The fifth orchid we've found in bloom this season is the Early Coralroot, Corallorhiza trifida, a rather uninspiring plant.  We went to see it at Mount Rainier National Park with the Washington Native Orchid Society along with the Western Fairy Slipper, Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis.  We found only a few stems of the Early Coralroot but a lot of Fairy Slippers, as well as a lot of Heart-leaved Twayblades, both the green and red forms, Listera or Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla and Listera Cordata var. nephrophylla fma. rubescens.

Corallorhiza trifida

 Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis

The Fairy Slippers are finished and so are the Twayblades at or near sea level, but both are at their peak in the mountains and since everything is early this year, I did a short hike in the North Cascades to look for the Early Coralroots there, but they were not even above ground yet.  I did find some Fairy Slippers along the trail and a lot of the green (more common) form of the Heart-leaved Twayblade.  Only one of the Twayblades was the red-flowered form, fma. rubescens.  These were just coming into bloom and Fairy Slippers were at their peak.

Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla

 Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla fma. rubescens