These two flowers from my neck of the woods both came out along the Appalachian Trail in May: the one to the left was from early this month and is known as a “Rattlesnake Plantain”. The other is blossoming right now at the end of the month and is called a “Pink Lady Slipper.” These are both common names (their Latin ones are _Goodyera oblongifolia_ and _Cypripedium acaule Ait_, respectively). I found it surprising that both of these are actually orchids — and orchids indigenous to this region.
Orchids turn out to be a lot more important than might seem — they are incredibly ancient. The family Orchidaceae make up between 6-11% of all living seed plant species, with over 28,000 currently known. The fact that there are so many kinds makes sense in light of just how long orchids have existed — which is for 112 million years. That leaves a lot of time for adapting to a huge variety of environmental niches. Some live in treetops and basically take in their water source through air. Others have unusual strategies for attracting pollinators. And some work in a symbiotic relationship with certain fungi. For this reason, orchids can serve as a sort of bellwether to detect environmental stress. If they aren’t thriving, something in their environment is out of kilter, even if it might not seem like it to the naked eye.
I love the fact that my part of the world in central Pennsylvania has inherited such beautiful products of evolution.
