NECPS Bog Trip - Western Massachusetts - August, 2014

[Cthulhu138]

Today the NECPS got together in western Massachusetts to visit a few of the local bogs. We toured 3 different sites in the region and saw some amazing plants.


Site #1. While the CP's we saw at this site were impressive, the orchids stole the show today.

The general habitat where all the plants were growing.







Some Cotton Grass - Eriophorum sp.







Sarracenia purpurea purpurea










Drosera rotundifolia growing in a patch of Pogonia ophioglossoides.



Utricularia ?




Utricularia cornuta






The orchids we found at this site......

Share the photo: Gymnadeniopsis (Platanthera) clavellata - Western Massachusetts - Site #1 - - See more at: http://s1109.photobucket.com/user/N...te Orchids?sort=3&page=3#sthash.CLHSi66A.dpuf

Gymnadeniopsis (Platanthera) clavellata - The Northern Club-Spur Orchis


















Platanthera blepharoglottis - The Northern White Fringed Orchis















Pogonia ophioglossoides - Rose Pogonia or Snakemouth Orchid - We were very surprised to find these in bloom (or just recently so) this late in the season.

A passing flower.


Foliage.


A very exciting discovery and possibly a new form of P.ophioglossoides ! A peloric form of the plant with 3 radially symetrical lips intead of 1 !

 

[Dragoness]

Wow - that 3 petaled orchid is a pretty awesome find.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Site #2 - This site had some Utricularia inflata or radiata that were too far out in the pond to photograph but there were some beautiful Platanthera lacera - The Ragged Fringed Orchis growing by the shore.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Site #3 - While lacking any orchids......this location was host to an extremely variable population of S.purpurea purpurea.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Wow - that 3 petaled orchid is a pretty awesome find.

It really was. We were pretty excited as none of us had ever seen anything like it in situ or in photos. Could possibly be a totally new form of this plant.

 

[swords]

Great stuff! Thanks for taking us along!

 

[Plant Mother]

Wish I lived near somewhere like this Especially liked the purps!

 

[Whimgrinder]

Thank you for this photo tour. For me, this is most definitely a "sentimental journey" and highly nostalgic. Very happy to see Platanthera blephariglottis. (When I was a teenager it was still Habenaria blephariglottis)

 

[Cthulhu138]

Glad you enjoyed the pics Paul. When I first started collecting temperate orchids (which wasn't all that long ago) many of the Platanthera species were still classified as Habenaria.

 

[chibae]

Thank you so much for sharing with us. That peloric is beautiful.

 

[SubRosa]

Heck of a day Johnny! That peloric Pogonia is really wild! It never ceases to amaze me how we ignore the beautiful plants right under our noses in favor of those from faraway places.

 

[Jcal]

Thanks for the photos. Loved the faint pin strip lines on some of the purps.
You also have caught my attention into looking at other big plants. Might need to expand view.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Heck of a day Johnny! That peloric Pogonia is really wild! It never ceases to amaze me how we ignore the beautiful plants right under our noses in favor of those from faraway places.

It was a terrific day filled with some really amazing plants. We all walked right by that peloric Pogonia. I only noticed it on my way out of the bog. There were many other P.ophioglossoides at the site that had long since passed and produced their seed pods. I'm curious to see if this form always blooms later in the season than the standard Pogonia. And if so....... why ?. I'll have to watch this site closely next year.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Thanks for the photos. Loved the faint pin strip lines on some of the purps.
You also have caught my attention into looking at other big plants. Might need to expand view.

That population of purpurea had some very unique individuals.

What are the "other big plants" you're referring to ?

 

[Jcal]

That population of purpurea had some very unique individuals.

What are the "other big plants" you're referring to ?

That was a typo. I meant bog plants.

 

[Cthulhu138]

Oh, ha ! Makes more sense.........