# Cypripedium acaule in situ Eastern Townships QC



## Erythrone (Jun 10, 2011)

Some Cypripedium acaule that grow in our woodlot. As I wrote earlier, there are high percentage of alba in that population. Actually the dark pink ones are rarer here than the white form. But the most common ones are light pink, but there is a lot of variation between the color of each plant.

Around 50% of the plants are light pink, 40 % are white and 10% are dark pink.

Light pinks :
















White












Clone A (Tocarmar (Tom) : I collected pollen from clone A and B for you)





Clone A





Clone B





Clone B





Pink






Those Cyps grow mainly under 70 years old conifers stands of balsam fir, with a few red spruce and white cedar. There are a few dying white birchs. 

The pH is acidic everywhere I tested it in our woodlot, even in the maple stand (4,5 to 5,5) so even though I have not tested it in the fir stand, sure it is low. Drainage is not perfect, but the Cyps always grow above the water table. Our Cyps seem to benefit from small opening in the canopy. We had a important ice storm in 1998. Some trees were broken by the ice. Many branches were broken too. In summer 1998 the flowering was quite a show. It seems to me that this plant is very shade tolerant but that it grows better in small openings. Many plants seemed to wait for more light in deep shade. We saw the same phenomenon when we cut a few trees. The plants do not thrive in the shadiest part of the forest. They bloom mainly near the paths and where we cut some trees. Some plants really thrive in the paths. We only use very small machine for harvesting wood. That is why the Cyps can live on the paths. 

The understorey : Aralia nudicaulis, Clintonia borealis, Trillium undulatum, Maianthemum canadense, Dryopteris (spinulosa group and maybe D. cristata ? I must check for D. clintoniana), Trientalis borealis, Coptis, Cornus canadensis. Seedlings of Abies balsamea and Acer rubrum. A few Viburnum alnifolium.


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## paphreek (Jun 10, 2011)

Great pictures!


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## NYEric (Jun 10, 2011)

Wow! Fantastic, thanks for sharing.


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## tocarmar (Jun 10, 2011)

Thank You!!!!!! I will pm you my address.. I will store the pollen in fridge for next year!! Hopefully I will have a few more plants bloom to pollinate them..


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## biothanasis (Jun 10, 2011)

Gorgeous!!! Cool pictures!


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## Shiva (Jun 10, 2011)

Very nice, and no mountain to climb and black flies to bother you. Great spot you have. You're right about the light, those Cyp acaule I saw last sunday in the Laurantians were in full sun part of the day. And it was very hot with the surrounding granite slabs heated by the sun.


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## W. Beetus (Jun 10, 2011)

Stunning blooms! I like the albas.


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## SlipperFan (Jun 10, 2011)

What a great woods!


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## Erythrone (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks everybody! It is very interesting to share it with you. 

Shiva, I think we live in the only part of Eastern Townships where mosquitoes and black flies are common, but less than in the Laurentides of course, where people eat at least 10 flies every breath they take. Here we eat only one or two!


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## Yoyo_Jo (Jun 10, 2011)

You live in a wonderful place; thanks for sharing your photos with us!


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## jjkOC (Jun 10, 2011)

Really beautiful _in situ_ photos!


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## KyushuCalanthe (Jun 11, 2011)

Some alba flowers are just wonderful, and C. acaule is no exception :clap:


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## JeanLux (Jun 11, 2011)

Most impressive series of pics showing another part of your home environment !!!! :clap: Jean


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