Botany help

[roccit_53 at scirocco.cs.uoguelph.ca (C Boyko)]

On 7:27:49 pm 05/07/05 "Sandor" <sandor@vwot.org> wrote:
> I'll rule out the trillium for ya...provincial flower of ontario and
> that's not it.
> My vote is for the lady slipper
>
>
> sandor
>
> >  The flower is in central Virginia.
> >
> >  On 5/7/05, John S. Lagnese <jlagnese@massed.net> wrote:
> >>  Where is this? It could be a tired Jack in the Pulpit.
> >>  John
>

Trillium : Liliaceae- has three sepals and three petals, our provincial
flower, very symmetrical. That ain't it. (They have three showy petals
(erm, tri-llium?), in the case of our provincial flower T. grandiflorum
(the big flowered one, grandi-florum), they would be white.)

Jack in the Pulpit: An arum, they have a hooded floral structure, typically
green, and if you flip up the hood, there's "jack" standing in his pulpit.
Though most church goers would be horrified to see "that" standing in the
pulpit. And they have three part leaves, like a trillium. So I'm saying
nope.

Lady's sippper: Orchidaceae - now we're cooking with gas. Ans Orchids are
not that common, but from a quick look at my handy Audubon guide, I'd say
it's the "showy orchis" (Orchis, as a side note, being from the Greek word
for testicle)

Anyway, the showy orchis, (Orchis spectabilis) . Leaves are from according
to my reference, has 2-15 white and deep lavender flowers on a short floral
stalk over two large, glossy green leaves 2 1/2-8", ovate to elliptic,
which sheath the stem. Flowers are 1" with 2 lateral petals, and the sepals
fused to form a hood of pink or lavender over a white spurred lower lip
petal, 

sounds about right?

Its range would include Virginia. "The long spur of this beautiful,
fragrant Orcid of the rich woods provides a syrup very rich in sugar. A
rare Northern species."

I'd advise you go back out there, crawl around and sniff the thing. (and
take a ton of pictures!!!) And don't try to transplanting it. Wild orchids
generaly resent being moved, and have a very narrow band of cultural
requirements, so it'd probably be better off where it is.

FINALLY somehting I feel semi-qualified to comment on...

Cathy 
BSc Physiological and Developmental Botany...