New Location for Epipactis gigantea

Having information from a friend who found the species there (he was along on the excursion) we visited Dry Falls State Park in central Washington to see Epipactis gigantea, the Stream Ochid.  Reputed to be rare in the state there were thousands of plants at two locations in the park, and though the flowers were just beginning to open we were able to get enough photos to prove that we had seen the species there.

 

Epipactis gigantea is an attractive species, always growing near water and often on the very edge of streams and lakes.  That was the case here also.  Sometimes the flowers are rather dull-colored but often they are the opposite, as the photos demonstrate.  It is also a rather large plant as native orchids go, and it is surprising that with its size and the number of plants it had not been previously reported from this location.

More Stream Orchids

While in the Olympics, first with several friends and then with the Native Orchid Society, we visited some new sites for Epipactis gigantea, the Stream Orchid or the Chatterbox, and also investigated another new site.  We found hundreds of them in an area where we have only previously known of a few plants, and since this species is relatively rare in Washington, it was good to know that it is flourishing in this location.  We were disappointed, however, to find that they were nearly finished flowering in all the locations and that in one location the deer had eaten most of the flowers.  The species is one of our more attractive orchids both in the color of the flowers and their size.  The plants grow to 100 cm though the plants we saw were much shorter, and the flowers are 3 cm across.  The plant is invariably found in wet locations, in this case along the edge of an inland lake and well deserves its name, Stream Orchid.

Twentieth Orchid of the Season and Others

We saw these for the first time this year and for the first time at this location.  We were traveling through Sherman Pass in north-central Washington and found them at a place where we had been told to look by a friend.  With them we found a few Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys that were near the end of their season.  Epipactis gigantea is the only native species from the genus in North America.  It is known as the Stream Orchid for its love for river and lakeside sites and as the Chatterbox for its moveable lip which "chatters" in the slightest breeze like a little mouth.  The plants we see are usually not taller than 60 cm and carry six to ten 3 cm flowers.

Epipactis gigantea

Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys

Epipactis gigantea

Epipactis gigantea is our only native Epipactis, though Epipactis helleborine is also quite common in our area, especially at lower elevations.  That species, however,  is a European import and not a native.  Epipactis gigantea is known both as the Stream Orchid for its preference for wet areas and as the Chatterbox for its moveable lip.  By any name it is a beautiful species with large flowers and attractive plants.  The plants have pleated leaves and generally grow to 30-45 cm, though they can be taller.  The flowers, as many as several dozen to a spike are 3 cm across and beautifully colored.  We know several locations where these can be found but found a new location this summer with hundreds of plants, a great find since the species is quite rare and protected in Washington.

July 24

(Olympic Peninsula)