Summary on Orchids of Barrier Islands of Mid Atlantic States.

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In the October to December issue of The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society an article was published describing the presence of native North American orchids on Mid Atlantic Barrier Islands. Eric E. Lamont of the Institute of Systematic Botany of the New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx NY, and Richard Stalter of St. John’s University Jamaica, NY have over the past 25 years have been conducting floristic inventories of Atlantic coast barrier islands from North Carolina to New York and observed and documented 17 orchid species.
The most common to least common species they encountered were Spiranthes vernalis, Spiranthes cernua, Cypripedium acaule, Listera australis, Plantanthera cristata, Pogonia ophioglossoides, Spiranthes odorata, Malaxis spicata, Spiranthes praecox, Tipularia discolor, Calopogon tuberosus, Corallorhiza wisteriana, Epipactis helleborine, Goodyera pubescens, Habenaria repens, Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis and Spiranthes laciniata.
Some species were found to occur in large populations of 1000’s of individuals while others were found in just mere handfuls. Platanthera cristata, Spiranthes cernua, S. praecox, S. vernalis and Tipularia discolor were found in large populations, with one population of Platanthera cristata occurring in a moist maritime woodland on Assateague Island, Virginia consisting of 1000’s of individuals dominated by yellow flowers possibly representing forma staminea. The Spiranthes species were also represented by widely scattered populations numbering in the 1000’s in moist sandy soils along roadsides on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Tipularia discolor was found in mature maritime deciduous Beech forest at Kitty Hawk Woods on Bodie Island, North Carolina.
Calopogan tuberosus, Cypripedium acaule and Pogonia ophioglossoides occur in populations of 100’s of individuals in restricted ranges in barrier islands of North Carolina and Virginia. Epipactus helleborine is a recent introduction (from Eurasia) in New York harbor barrier Islands (Ellis Island) and was also found at Sandy Hook, NJ. This species has been described as an invasive weed, which here forms a habitat at disturbed sites. The remaining species listed on paragraph 2 have been found to be rare with few populations and/or a few individuals.
Those islands with a variety of habitats have been identified as areas of high orchid diversity. The region between and including Nags Head Woods and Kitty Hawk Woods on Bodie Island, North Carolina, provides suitable habitat for a relatively large number of orchid species, as well as False Cape, Virginia and Assteague Island, Virginia.
The authors have observed a decline in number of orchid populations on barrier islands of the Middle Atlantic States. This is most likely, according the authors, due to development caused destruction of suitable habitat. The barrier Islands of New Jersey being the most severely impacted. The islands of Virginia and North Carolina have seen less disturbance thanks to management by the federal government.

To read this article see:
Lamont, Eric E. and R. Stalter 2007. Orchids of Atlantic coast barrier islands from North Carolina to New York. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society 134(4), pp, 540-551.