Thursday, October 08, 2009

Helleborine


While in the dunes in Michigan, I kept seeing what was clearly an orchid plant. The time for flowering is long past, but I eventually found out what it was. Epipactis helleborine is our only non-native orchid, brought here by European settlers. Spreading into the wild seems like quite a challenge when your seeds lack endosperm and rely on mycorrhizal fungi.
Missouri Plants Helleborine page
Connecticut Botanical Society Helleborine page

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