 |
A Day of Botanizing Late Spring Wildflowers May 27, 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
|
A Day of Botanizing Late Spring Wildflowers May 27, 2021 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| 1 - My first exploration of the day was a high elevation boulderfield on the north slope of Slaughter Mtn, looking for another of Georgia's rare flowers: |
|
 |
|
| Heading up the trail, I passed some Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) |
|
 |
|
| Flame Azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum) was still in bloom at the higher elevations. |
|
 |
|
| A nice patch of Bowman's Root, aka Indian Physic (Gillenia trifoliata) |
|
 |
|
| After some steep bushwhacking, I found my targeted species... |
|
 |
|
| Starflower (Trientalis borealis, formerly Lysimachia borealis) |
|
 |
|
| Starflower - flower detail |
|
 |
|
| This species is rare in Georgia, and state-listed as Endangered. |
|
 |
|
| Heading back down, I came across some Four-leafed Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia) |
|
 |
|
| A mating pair of Orange Patched Smoky Moths (Pyromorpha dimidiata) |
|
| 2 - Next, I wanted to check the status of an orchid population along a nearby creek: |
|
 |
|
| Small Purple Fringed Orchid (Platanthera psycodes) They were just coming into bloom; this was the only plant with many open flowers. I'd hoped to see another orchid here also, the Appalachian Twayblade, but they were still in bud. |
|
| 3 - Before heading back to my truck, I swung by my "old standby" colony of another uncommon orchid: |
|
 |
|
| Small Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. parviflorum) They were past their prime, but a couple of flowers still looked OK. |
|
| 4 - Next, I headed to a bog off Cooper Crk Rd that I hadn't visited before: |
|
 |
|
| Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea subsp. venosa var. montana) |
|
 |
|
| The Pitchers here were in fine bloom. |
|
| 5 - Finally, I stopped at our local mountain seeps to monitor Georgia's only colony of Platanthera herbiola. A few weeks earlier, I had discovered a dead tree had fallen right on top of the plants. I found those flower racemes still in bud, so went to look for another unusual plant. |
 |
| Fairy Wand, aka Devil's Bit (Chamaelirium luteum) We found this plant growing two years ago after it had gone to seed. Last year there was no sign of it. This year it's blooming nicely. |
|
 |
|
| Flower raceme of the Chamaelirium luteum. This species is dioecious, and this is a female plant. |