The last outing found another orchid in bloom, Listera, now Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla, the Western Heart-leaved Twayblade. We'll continue to see this species well into the summer but up in the mountains. These were found at the only low-elevation location we know for this area. They are the reddish form, fma. rubescens, and there were only six plants blooming at the location.
Neottia cordata var. nephrophylla fma. rubescens
Along with this species we found plenty of Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis, the Western Spotted Coralroot, including a few plants of the golden stemmed form, fma. aurea. Last year there were numerous plants of this form but this year only two. Coralroots are strange plants, appearing at a location and then disappearing for several years and then often in a different place.
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis
Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis fma. aurea
There are still some Western Fairy Slippers, Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis, blooming, but they are getting fewer and fewer at the low elevations and are not yet blooming at the higher elevations. We will probably see them again in the mountains in a few weeks. One of the white Fairy Slippers was still blooming, too, and this was is unique for its complete lack of any color.
Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis
Calypso bulbosa var. occidentalis fma. nivea