Day 300: Mount Rainier National Park is home to at least 15 members of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae), but none has a flower larger than roughly an inch in its greatest dimension. The more floriferous members of the family put up tall spikes bearing numerous individual flowers which on close examination resemble those of corsage orchids, but on a miniature scale. Many are subtly fragrant if not particularly colourful and in fact about half are simply green or white (the exceptions are Calypso bulbosa and most Coralroots). There is some debate as to whether Orchids such as Platanthera stricta (above) can be considered truly mycoheterotrophic, but all depend on some degree of assistance from soil-borne fungi which break down nutrients into a form which can be used by the plant. Some researchers will argue that the fungus receives no reciprocal benefit from the orchid and therefore the relationship is one of parasitism, but to my way of thinking, there must be some undetected mutualism. Just because we can't quantify something doesn't mean it isn't there.
