# yellow natives plus+



## cnycharles (May 19, 2010)

I finally had a few minutes after work (and doing some dishes - blah) to edit my trip pics and they are uploading as I type. If a pic isn't showing up give it a few minutes and it should finish (I have dialup and it takes a while, these pics are a bit larger as well)

I had monday morning off because of being scheduled to work the whole weekend, so Ken Hull and I traveled to Labrador Hollow Unique Area to check out the five native orchids that can be found there. We didn't see any pink ladyslipper flowers in the spot we check out, just a few plants. Saw some club spur orchis plants and old seed pods, a few early coralroot (would be lots more if we were closer to the lake) and a bunch of heartleaf twayblades scattered all around making safe walking very difficult in some spots. It seems like there were more yellow ladyslippers this year, but the very largest clumps I saw weren't around this year, and one looked like it had been grazed by deer (stupid walking hedge trimmers...). I did spot a few unusual things though






this was the first time I noticed a plant with multiple stems with two flowers each. this plant had three stems and two flowers on each stem. I didn't see any other plants with two flowers per stem like this one










with this angle you can see the double flowers better





this plant was a little odd looking! the lower sepals point almost straight sideways, and didn't twist very much. this was the only atypical one I saw though there were hundreds I didn't look closely at. fairly dark red color, though, in comparison to most of what you see here





just a closer view of 'yosemite sam'... (smile)





a very nice clump though not the largest I've seen by any means





this small clump was interesting because it was growing only out of one of the small sphagnum moss hummocks

there were quite a few heartleaf twayblades scattered around, but I wasn't in the mood of trying to get pictures of them. one symptom of having to work all the time is that I don't feel like doing very much when I do have time off, just want to sit back and relax (off of my feet). I also think I was a bit dehydrated which happens alot 





I only took pics of one plant; successively closer pics to show detail (and the wind was blowing so trying to make sure something turned out clearly











also interesting but somewhat small and difficult to get a good picture of, is early coralroot. a light green and white, small plant can be quite difficult to get a good picture of against a mostly green and brown background. I don't think I yet have what I would call an excellent picture of early coralroot


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## NYEric (May 19, 2010)

Thanx for sharing. Is that the same place Ken Hull and I went last time? That "odd lookiing" Cyp looks like a different species! BTW it looks like it was a quite warm day.


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## JeanLux (May 20, 2010)

thanks Charles for these great pics!!!! Jean


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## cnycharles (May 20, 2010)

yes, you were there last year, eric (unfortunately I wasn't because of crazy work people). the one plant does look a little different, but I don't think there are any northern small yellow ladyslippers in the nearby area like over at eames fen (that might mix up the genes a little bit)

you're welcome! this year I felt more like exploring and looking around the site rather than fighting with the shaking ground and blackflies to get good pictures. thankfully I was more inspired by the yellow ladyslippers to get some decent pictures. I still have some bite marks from blackflies... it was a little warm and muggy, but not too bad. it's usually fairly cool there. the sun shining in at spots did make it seem brighter and warmer than it really was (I may have lightened the images a little as well)


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## musiclovertony (May 20, 2010)

These are such wonderful photos. I feel like I'm right there in the wetland! I really like that photo of "Yosemite Sam," by the way 

What is the ecosystem, there? Is it an acid/minerotrophic bog? I think I see birch bark on the ground in one photo and plenty of sphagnum. Is it hardwood, or mixed?


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## Dido (May 20, 2010)

Really beautifull picture hope I can one day look the native ones, 
in the Wild. never had that time. 
Thanks for sharing them with us.


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## biothanasis (May 20, 2010)

Great pictures Charles!!! Well done and thanks for sharing!!! :clap:!!! I especially like the coralroot and the twayblade.


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## Hera (May 20, 2010)

Wonderful, thanks!


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 20, 2010)

cnycharles said:


> just a closer view of 'yosemite sam'... (smile)



"COME ON! QUIT STALLIN'!!!"



> I don't think I yet have what I would call an excellent picture of early coralroot



That makes one of us!

Seriously nice habitat shots Charles, thank you. It would be interesting to get a selfing of both that double flowered plant as well as Yosemite Sam. As a kid I looked for this species down state with no luck - rare as hen's teeth in those parts.


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## cnycharles (May 20, 2010)

musiclovertony said:


> These are such wonderful photos. I feel like I'm right there in the wetland! I really like that photo of "Yosemite Sam," by the way
> 
> What is the ecosystem, there? Is it an acid/minerotrophic bog? I think I see birch bark on the ground in one photo and plenty of sphagnum. Is it hardwood, or mixed?



glad you like. there are mixed hardwoods along with the ever-represented eastern hemlock. it's a slightly calcareous area, some spots more than others. when you get closer to the lake or the streams coming off it, you'll see more of the coralroots and twayblades. if you move a bit further off, that's where the yellow ladyslippers are. move towards the outer edge of the bog underneath the hemlocks (the outer bog ring) there's a lot more poison ivy and mud. the woods surrounding the lake are only a few feet over the water table, and the area is directly between two very high ridges that aren't very far apart. this helps to keep things pretty cool and there is lots of runoff from the hills down to the lake. the unique area is around a glacial plunge pool which is now the lake, and there is tons of mixed and calcareous material (and mud) that is this area, which creates a stable habitat for calcareous indicator plants. the hemlocks make their own acidic environment for plants that don't usually grow in calcareous areas, over the root zone. this is quite common for wetlands in upstate ny to have calcareous and acidic environments basically contained one in the other and mixed together


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## KyushuCalanthe (May 20, 2010)

cnycharles said:


> this is quite common for wetlands in upstate ny to have calcareous and acidic environments basically contained one in the other and mixed together



Sounds like a botanical paradise. I'm sure the diversity is greatly enhanced by such an unusual balance.


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## cnycharles (May 20, 2010)

yes, it's pretty cool!  over near ithaca there is a spot called eames fen between some slopes and mud creek; there are a ton of hemlocks which are acidic, but out of the side hill there are what they call 'pocket fens' where springs seep out from limestone, and there is rich black muck in the pockets between the hill and the creek. in one spot that has been conserved by the cornell plantations (university property) there are right now some large yellow ladyslippers and about a week later there can be some small northern yellow ladyslippers, and around father's day in the same spot as the first yellows, there are some nice showy ladyslippers basically side by side. lots of fen plants, like swamp milkweed and canada lily, and pitcher plants and painted trilliums. lots of muddy places to explore! many of them are hidden where you would never think that anything interesting would be (besides briars and mosquitos)


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## musiclovertony (May 20, 2010)

I really appreciate the vivid description, Charles. It really does sound incredible. We're so lucky to live in areas that still have these northern peatlands for us to appreciate. I always enjoy your photo journeys!


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## SlipperFan (May 20, 2010)

musiclovertony said:


> I always enjoy your photo journeys!



Me, too. Vicarious pleasure.


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## fundulopanchax (May 21, 2010)

Spectacular photos, Charles!

Thx!

Ron


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## NYEric (May 21, 2010)

Let me know when you're going looking for showies and maybe I'll try to come up. I'd probably take the bus so I don't get another speeding ticket!


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## cnycharles (May 21, 2010)

usually around here they are in flower on father's day...


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## NYEric (May 21, 2010)

When's that? I'm really not the best child.


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## cnycharles (May 21, 2010)

google says june 20th. i'm sure that by the 15th they would be flowering


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## Kavanaru (May 22, 2010)

great photos and plantas!

I have a "silly" question... which species is this Cypripedium? I tried to retrieve a list of orchids from the area, but without success... then I found that "Yellow Ladyslipper" should be the common name for Cyp. calceolus in teh states, but these plants look a bit different from the Cyp. calceolus I know (mainly european forms)


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## musiclovertony (May 22, 2010)

Cyp. parviflorum


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## Mafate (May 22, 2010)

Thanks for sharing cnycharles, very interesting shots!


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## cnycharles (May 22, 2010)

welcome! it's the pubescens variety of parviflorum; calceolus has been determined to not be in north america. there are the makasin variety of parviflorum in the nearby area but not at this spot

oh, I forgot to add that these flowers were fragrant! I almost forgot to check to see if they had any
* another note as to why I wasn't so keen on getting lots of pictures of the twayblades is that they are often only four inches tall, so getting shots usually means either laying on the ground, or at least on your knees with your head tilted sideways to be able to see through the viewfinder. I have seen angle viewfinders for sale for my camera that would help with that, but haven't decided to spring for one. this spot is quite wet, mossy and in some places pretty muddy (plus some poison ivy in some spots) so I have to be feeling pretty determined to get pictures of them and other tiny ones like them. .. and though i often don't feel like doing much after work, for the right things like exploring or having the chance to find some chicken barbecue while out on the road, I'm ready to go anytime!


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## Kevin (May 22, 2010)

Kavanaru said:


> I have a "silly" question... which species is this Cypripedium? I tried to retrieve a list of orchids from the area, but without success... then I found that "Yellow Ladyslipper" should be the common name for Cyp. calceolus in teh states, but these plants look a bit different from the Cyp. calceolus I know (mainly european forms)



Yes, like has been said, Cyp. calceolus is the European 'yellow lady slipper'. When the yellow lady slippers were 'discovered' in North America, they were all called calceolus, until it was realized that they really are different. A lot of people still call the North American ones calceolus, which makes things confusing.


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