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orchis spectabilis - showy orchid

​The Showy Orchid (Orchis spectabilis/Galearis spectabilis) grows from 5 to 12 inches tall.  There is a short stalk that rises between 2 large, glossy, basal, obovate, green leaves.  The leaves are between 4 to 8 inches long. The stalk is is topped by 2 to 15 white and pink to deep lavender flowers.  Three sepals and 2 upper petals are fused together to form a purple-pink hood over a white, spurred lip petal.

Within the long spur of this orchid is a syrup very rich in sugar.

This plant is found in rich, damp, woods and swamp edges. It is often found near streams or at the base of slopes. It can be found from southeastern Canada and most of the eastern U.S. south to Georgia and Mississippi. It flowers from April to May.

Orchids are good at tricking insects to disperse their pollen. The insect gets lured into the corolla only to find that there is no nectar, but in the process of looking for it, it picks up packets of pollen that it then distributes to other nearby flowers as it searches for food.

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  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me