Wild Orchids

Wild Orchids by Bob Armstrong and Marge Hermans from Southeast Alaska's Natural World 161 161 A dance fly that probes People the world over have into a green bog orchid long been fascinated with orchids. Wealthy blossom will likely collectors have paid fortunes to possess emerge with clumps exotic varieties, and adventurers have risked of pollen stuck to tiny their lives to extract rare varieties from disks on its head. The jungles and remote locations. insect’s subsequent In 2001, U.S. sales of potted orchids visits to other flowers (artificially raised or hybrids) approached of the same species $100 million; and according to an item in help promote the U.S. News and World Report, a single potted exchange of pollen white stem of a phalaenopsis orchid at the between plants (cross- elegant Takashimaya Floral Boutique in pollination). New York was priced at $175. Nurseries closely or using a magnifying glass or hand and other outlets currently ship millions lens. of orchids all over the United States and Fairy slipper and lady’s slipper blos- Canada, and their spectacular varieties and soms display the quintessential orchid-type colors are often the highlight of garden blossom. Each flower has several upright shows and greenhouse displays. parts (petals and sepals), and a lower petal (Preceding page) Most people are attracted by the com- modified into a showy pouch that appar- Calypso bulbosa, plex and elegant blossoms of orchids, and ently serves as a landing pad for pollinating “fairy slipper” tropical species especially show a stagger- insects. Insects are attracted to the blossoms ing variety of colors, petal shapes, and intricate markings. A few wild orchids in Southeast Alaska have blossoms large and color- ful enough to remind us (Right) White bog of their more spectacular orchids may grow three tropical relatives. Those are feet high in Southeast the beautiful Calypso bulbosa, Alaska, often rising or “fairy slipper,” found above surrounding mostly on small islands of plants in a muskeg Southeast Alaska, often on and emitting a strong, the outer coast; and three pleasant aroma similar species of “lady’s slip- to that of vanilla. pers” occasionally found in the northern parts of our region. But a number of other wild orchids are quite common in Southeast forests and bogs, and it’s easy to discover and appreciate their lovely, delicate blossoms by just looking more 162 by their color and fragrance, then when they shoot out a drop of viscous fluid filled with probe the blossoms, they emerge carrying pollen grains. The fluid glues the pollen mass (Bottom) Rattlesnake pollen that they subsequently deposit on to the insect’s body so it, too, can be carried plantain is named for other plants. to subsequent blossoms. the variable striations on its leaves, which Some orchids go to great lengths to If pollination is successful, an orchid often resmemble trick insects into helping with the process may produce for each blossom a single oval the markings of of pollination. They have developed blos- or oblong capsule filled with tiny seeds. A rattlesnake skin. Its soms that mimic both the appearance and capsule may contain an enormous num- blossom, shown above the chemical sex signals, or pheromones, ber of seeds—as many as 3,770,000 were the photo of the leaves, of female insects. The blossoms of Chilo- counted in a single capsule of a tropical displays delicate petals glottis tropeziformis, an orchid not found in American orchid, Cynoches chlorochilon, for on a central spike. Southeast, looks and “smells” so much like example. And it’s a good thing, too. As A.F. a particular species of female wasp that Szczawinski writes in The Orchids of British males of the species are attracted to the Columbia, “Unless the conditions of tem- orchid flowers from long distances. And the perature, moisture, soil and shelter are ideal, orchid Coryanthes speciosa, one of the species failure for the seedlings is certain. There known as bucket orchids found in lowland is one chance in thousands that such ideal forests in Central and South America, lures conditions will occur.” male euglossine bees into its heart, coating Once orchid seeds land on the ground, them with both pollen and a waxy perfume they do not germinate as easily as the seeds that appears to be useful in attracting female of most plants. Their outer seed-coat must bees. be penetrated by the microscopic threads Here in Southeast Alaska, white bog of certain fungi species in the soil before orchids, which often grow in large patches they can germinate. Apparently the fungi in marshes and muskegs, emit a strong fra- are needed to convert starches in the seed grance that some describe as a combination into simpler sugars that the embryo orchid of vanilla, cloves, and other spices. They can use. seem to attract certain insects, such as mos- Whether or not pollination is successful, quitoes, dance flies, and moths, which help it may be years before a particular orchid transport their pollen from one flower to will bloom again. For this reason, as well another. The nectar in bog orchids is housed in a narrow pouch or “spur” that projects backward from the lip of the blossom, and it can only be reached by an insect with a long proboscis, or tubular mouth part. When the insect sticks its head into the blossom it bumps against and tears off tiny adhesive discs that stick to its forehead and proboscis, and pick up clusters of pollen that can then be deposited in another orchid blossom. Heart-leaved twayblades—tiny orchids that are fairly common in moist or wet forests in our region—use a different approach. They give off a strong odor that attracts flies and fungus gnats. When they are touched by one of these insects, they 163 as their fragility and their In the case of the bog adder’s tongue dependence on associating (Malaxis paludosa), found in bogs in South- with fungi growing in the east Alaska, small projections known as soil around them, wild or- “bulbils” grow at the tips of the leaves and chids in many parts of the break off to form new plants. U.S. and the world have Two species of orchids seen fairly often become rare, and many in the deep shade of Southeast coniferous states have laws prohibit- forests may not at first be recognized as ing picking them. orchids. Completely pink or yellowish Some orchids also and semi-transparent, the coralroots are reproduce by vegetative saprophytic plants—they live off decaying multiplication. This is true organic matter and contain no chlorophyll of the rattlesnake plan- for making their own food. Coralroot flow- tain, found in primary ers nonetheless show orchid-like character- glacial forests and dense istics—their many-petaled blossoms have a forests along the beach characteristic protruding lip, though they are fringe in Southeast. This small and clustered along an upright spike. Spotted coralroot is a intriguing plant, with rosettes of mottled or Authoritative field guides list 21 spe- a saprophytic orchid striped evergreen leaves and delicate flowers cies of wild orchids found in Southeast. that lives off decaying on a slender spike, can spread very rapidly, To learn more about them we recommend organic matter in the “creeping” along under the ground by ex- Native Plants of Southeast Alaska by Judy soil. Small clusters are tending its underground stem, or rhizome. Hall, and Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast often seen in the deep edited by Pojar and MacKinnon. shade of coniferous forests in Southeast Alaska. Elusive Promises Many people’s inor- advertised to “stimulate the sexual dinate fascination with propensities.” Calypso orchids, or “orchidelerium,” Women in Victorian England were bulbosa, “fairy over the centuries prob- forbidden to own orchids, whose name ably stems from myths and slipper” comes from the Latin orchis, meaning traditions in a number of testicle and suggesting sexual associations. cultures. The Aztecs and Even today the scent and flavor of vanilla Mayas of Middle America is widely marketed for its sensuous and used vanilla, made from the evocative qualities in soap and perfumes. seed capsules of orchids of the Vanilla The “fairy slipper” Calypso bulbosa genus, as an erotic drink; and once the is named for the beautiful goddess who Spanish carried vanilla flavoring to Europe ensnared Homer’s Ulysses for seven years in the 1700s, it was touted as a tincture on the island of Ogygia. The mountain or infusion to insure male potency. After lady-slipper, occasionally found in northern Thomas Jefferson brought vanilla to Southeast Alaska, is named Cypripedium, the United States from France, it was which means “the foot of Aphrodite,” the enthusiastically accepted, and occasionally ancient Greek goddess of love. 164.

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