The advent of the Southern Twayblade Orchid (
Listera australis) is definitely a sign of early spring, although here in central FL, aside from a brief cold snap that took us below freezing for a few hours each night over 3 nights, the weather has been very much like early spring since November. Twayblades emerge in early January in central Florida and early-mid February in north Florida, emerging even later as you travel northward through their range which extends all the way into the southern parts of Canada...truly a widespread plant. I did encounter a plant in the Tallahassee area that was in full bloom in mid June...apparently a very confused plant.
This is one of Florida's smallest orchids...the typical plant stands about 4 inches high (10 cm) with two oppositely-spreading leaves. The leaves are typically one inch (2.5cm) long by 1/2 inch (1.25cm) wide. Flower counts of around 9 flowers are typical. I have seen more robust plants with as many as 30 flowers standing about 7 inches tall (17.75cm), but these are the rare old patriarchs of the bog. The individual flowers are about 1cm long and 2-3mm wide. They are a marvel in miniaturization, in which many of the floral parts are composed of literally just a few hundred cells.
These plants inhabit moist woodlands (and more open bogs along partially shaded margins), often growing amidst sphagnum moss or in the areas just slightly drier than where the sphagnum grows. They come up rather quickly, set seed and senesce all within the period of a month to a month-and-a-half.
This plant was photographed in an area a bit to the west of Ocala, Florida just about a week ago. I purposely left the background behind it alone, as I didn't want to risk uprooting any of the small seedlings growing nearby. I also wanted to give a sense of scale and habitat where this diminutive species grows.
Canon EOS 400D, Sigma 105mm macro, 580 EX II flash shot through a diffuser, f22, 1/150s.
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Southern Twayblade
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