Monday, July 31, 2017

Bog Candles


Day 291: Platanthera dilatata is easily the most recognizable of Mount Rainier National Park's Orchidaceae, and its immaculate white flowers leave no doubt about how its common name Bog Candles came into our vocabulary. It is also one of the taller Orchids, its striking spires often reaching heights of 2.5-3 feet. As with many other members of the Orchid family, it prefers wet "feet," i.e., it can be found in ditches and wet meadows, and may occur at elevations up to 5000'. It hybridizes with other Platanthera species, making varietal identification of any given specimen extremely difficult.

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