Orchids In Southeast Alaska

Marlin Bowles Bob Armstrong Introduction Orchids are placed within the , one of the two major flowering groups. The monocots include grasses as well as many showy such as iris and lily species, and the orchids may have evolved from a primitive lily ancestor. Orchids comprise the plant family, which is one of the two largest in the world. It contains about 25,000 orchid species, which includes about 8% of all plant species. Orchids are most abundant in the tropics, where the majority of these plants are epiphytic, growing on trees. Orchids also occur northward in temperate areas of North America, Europe, and Asia, where they are terrestrial, rooting in soil. Some even occur north of Arctic Circle. About 38 species and varieties occur in Alaska, 28 of which are known to occur in the southeast part of the state.

The presence of orchids often indicates lack of human disturbance. Many terrestrial species also occupy specific and predictable habitats. They may be sensitive to soil characteristics such as the range from acidic to alkaline soil reaction (measured by pH), and usually require habitat specific mycorrhizal fungi. The large number of orchid species, their habitats, pollinators, and fungal partners are important components of biodiversity and are thus valuable subjects for conservation. They are also valuable for evolutionary and ornamental research, and make up a large part of the ornamental plant trade.

1 Orchids in Southeast Alaska Fairy Slipper orchids Slender bog (Platanthera stricta); Eastern (Calypso bulbosa var. common; peatlands; throughout SE americana); rare; forest, forest edge; Chilkat Valley Piperia orchids White (Piperia candida); rare; open Western (Calypso bulbosa var. forest; Prince of Wales Is and south occidentalis); rare; small islands; Alaska (Piperia unalascensis); rare; open Lynn Canal and south forest; possibly throughout SE Lady’s Slipper orchids Plantain (Rattlesnake) orchids Mountain (Cypripedium montanum); Giant (Goodyera oblongifolia); frequent; rare; bogs, forest, alpine; Glacier coastal forest, throughout SE Bay; Chilkat Valley Yellow (Cypripedium parviflorum); Ladies Tresses orchids rare; beaches, muskeg; Glacier Bay, Hooded (Spiranthes romanzoffiana); Prince of Wales Is frequent; coastal wetlands, shores, Sparrow’s egg (Cypripedium muskeg; throughout SE passerinum); rare; beaches, bogs, Adder’s Mouth orchids riparian; Glacier Bay, Chilkat Valley Two-leaved (Aleutian); (Malaxis Bracted orchids diphyllos); rare; coastal beaches and Northern (Coeloglossum viride var. cliffs, muskeg; throughout? SE viride); infrequent; alpine sun; Bog (Malaxis paludosa); rare, muskeg, probably throughout SE bogs; possibly throughout SE Long (Coeloglossum viride var. Twayblade orchids virescens); rare; riparian forest Northwestern (Listera banksiana); shade; possibly throughout SE infrequent; coastal forest, throughout Rein orchids SE Northern bog (Platanthera aquilonus); Northern (Listera borealis); rare; forest; infrequent; wetlands, cliffs; Chilkat Yukon border Valley, Glacier Bay Broad-lipped (Listera convallarioides); Chamisso’s (Platanthera chorisiana); infrequent; forest , beaches; southern rare; muskeg, bogs; possibly SE throughout SE Western heart-leaved (Listera cordata); White bog (Platanthera dilatata) frequent; forest; throughout SE frequent; meadows, fens; muskeg throughout SE Coralroot orchids Spotted (Corallorhiza maculata var. Green bog (Platantera huronensis); maculata); infrequent; Chilkat valley infrequent; meadows, muskeg; to the Chilkat peninsula northern SE Western (Corallorhiza mertensiana); Blunt-leaved (Platanthera obtusata); frequent; coastal forest; throughout rare; coastal forest, near glaciers; SE northern SE Early (Corallorhiza trifida); infrequent; Round-leaved (Platanthera orbiculata); coastal forest, glacial borders; infrequent; red cedar forest; Prince probably throughout SE of Wales Is and south

2 Eastern Fairy Slipper

Western Fairy Slipper

3 Yellow Lady’s Slipper Mountain Lady’s Slipper

Sparrow’s Egg Lady’s Slipper

4 Northern Bracted Long Bracted

Northern Bog Rein Chamisso’s Rein 5 (photo by Pam Bergeson)

Green Bog Rein

White Bog Rein

Blunt-leaved Rein Round-leaved Rein

6 (photo by Ron Hanko) Hanko) Ron by (photo Hanko) Ron by (photo

Slender Bog White Piperia Alaska Piperia Rein

Giant Plantain (Rattlesnake) Hooded Ladies Tresses

7 Two-leaved (Aleutian) Bog Adder’s Mouth Adder’s Mouth (photo by Ron Hanko) Hanko) Ron by (photo

Northwestern Twayblade Northern Twayblade

8 (photo by Ron Hanko) Hanko) Ron by (photo

Broad-lipped Twayblade Western Heart-leaved Twayblade (photo by Judy Hall) by (photo

Spotted Coralroot Western Coralroot

9 It has been really fun for us to document what type of insect helps pollinate certain orchids. Most orchids have a single place where their is stored which usually contains two or more pollen masses called pollinia. Pollinia are usually attached directly to the insect by a glue, or by a stalk with an adhesive disk that adheres to the insect. The photos below show a dance fly entering an early coralroot flower and leaving the flower with pollinia attached to its back. By visiting another plant, the dance fly could provide cross pollination. Early Coralroot

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