After seeing naoki's Calypso post, then bringing the subject up in a couple of other threads myself, I decided to dig out some of my Alaskan native orchid photos.
In the late '80s when the Alaskan economy went down the chuter, I moved out to the Aleutians, the Dutch Harbor / Unalaska area to find work rather than leave the state. I have always had a great interest in wildflowers and spend a lot of time looking for and I.D.'ing them. While out in Dutch, among others, I ran into this wildflower:
Dactylorhiza aristata
The first time I ran across one, I immediately recognized it as an orchid. I was flabbergasted by its existence. I never would have suspected that there would be orchids in the Aleutians, or Alaska for that matter. I have kept my eyes open for native orchids ever since. It seems that my interest in orchids began with finding this particular orchid.
Many years later I stumbled upon this one:
Hammarbya paludosa
I was out photographing bog wildflowers when I stumbled across this one. It was so small, only 1-1/2" TO 2" tall.
I spent days scouring that bog for more of them. I did find a few, but never found any anywhere else than in that bog.
In dryer parts of that bog, I would find this one growing:
Spiranthes romanzoffiana
I'm not certain now, but I believe these are:
Platanthera hyperboria
The Green Bog Candle
This one is my favorite Alaskan orchid:
Platanthera dilatata
The White Bog Candle
It is very fragrant and smells like a mixture of cinnamon and cloves.
Platantheras dilatata and hyperboria will form hybrid swarms. They are usually white and fragrant like the dilatata.
These are very much larger than any dilatatas I'd ever seen before. I believe they are a natural hybrid:
And finally, no Alaskan orchid collection would be complete without:
Calypso bulbosa
This is the more common color variation:
That's enough, and all I can find right now.
More Alaskan Native Orchids
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