Photo by Ann Darr This orchid species grows wild along the Atlantic coastal plain from southern New Jersey south to Florida and then west along the Gulf into Louisiana. It loves fire-adapted pinelands and is a fairly typical component of damp savannas.

This is a sun-loving species seen in habitats wet for a good portion of the year. The plant produces a slender, smooth stem about 2' tall from a cluster of knotty roots. A single, strap-shaped leaf is found about half-way up the stem with a single, magnificent flower at the very top, or very rarely, with two or three blossoms.

The flower bears three dramatic sepals rising in the "back," green to purplish- brown and up to about 3" long. These sepals may be straight or curling. Two white petals project forward, closely covering a pink, trough-shaped lip below, such that the opening to the pollen and stigma appears somewhat hidden. The genus name for this plant comes from a Greek word meaning "closed," an allusion to the architecture of the petals and lip.

Bumblebees are probably the most important pollinators for this showy species, which is reported to have a floral fragrance something like a daffodil. As with many other orchid species, the flowers, once opened tend to last a relatively long time before fading and falling. Pollination results in the formation of a dry capsule --the situation with all orchids-- which contains thousands of tiny seeds.

Photo by John Nelson This coastal resident has 50 or so near relatives, all of which are from South America, mostly Brazil. One of its closest relatives also occurs in the Southeastern USA and in pine savannas. This curious cousin is a bit shorter with smaller flowers which give off a fragrance of vanilla. This smallish cousin is also found occasionally in the Appalachian Mountains.

To someone not knowing better, orchids might somehow seem to have a delicate and vulnerable nature. Not so. Orchids' adaptations have allowed them to evolve in a wide variety of ecosystems across the world. That said, many native orchids are declining in large part due to urbanization and habitat loss.

The plant in the photograph was recently supplied by personnel in South Carolina's Department of Natural Resources. They have been studying the ecosystems of a portion of our coastal plain in Marion County commonly called "Britton's Neck." Their study sites at least six rare plant species not including this orchid. If all goes well, portions of this tract will eventually end up as protected natural areas.

Answer to last week's mystery plant

Tall skull-cap, Scutellaria integrifolia

Dr. John Nelson is the curator of the USC Herbarium. To learn more about the Herbarium, call him at 777-8196. His department also offers free plant identification. www.herbarium.org