Day 235: Rare in Mount Rainier National Park and observed by your narrator only two or three times previously, Hemitomes congestum (Gnome Plant or Cone Plant) was discovered by me growing in two widely separated locations on June 4, 2015. This further fuels my theory that the mild winter has allowed the mycorrhizal components required by these highly specialized species to proliferate. I have also noted several large colonies of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) in the same area where this photo was taken, and indeed, monitoring the Indian Pipe's development was what drew me back to the site on this occasion. Additionally in the same area and others, the Spotted Coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata) has grown to an exceptional size. It isn't just a good year for mycoheterotrophs. It's an amazing one!
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