Day 256: Day before yesterday, I got a late-day email from Beth Fallon who replaced Arnie as the Park's Plant Ecologist two years ago asking for my confirmation of her identification of a yellow Coralroot she'd found that afternoon. She can be forgiven for thinking it might have been C. trifida. She's from out of state and is still learning our local species. It was a Coralroot and it was certainly yellow, and C. trifida is sometimes called "Yellow Coralroot," but even a quick glance at her photos told me that it was definitely not trifida. For one thing, it was way too tall, towering above the Achlys in the background. The flowers were the wrong shape for trifida as well. I pulled Hitchcock down from the shelf and started writing a point-by-point analysis in response. By the time I'd reached the bottom of the key, I was 99% convinced that it was Corallorhiza maculata var. occidentalis, a far less common cousin of my own dear Mac.
Now you must take into consideration here that I have only driven my car out of my yard twice since early March. What could possibly compel me to break my regimen of voluntary isolation? Yep, you got it right in one: a plant, and specifically, an uncommon mycoheterotrophic plant. The lure was just too great. By ten yesterday morning, I was off on a botany mission, armed with camera, tripod, mask and GPS. By that time, I'd heard back from Arnie who agreed with my assessment, but both of us felt that I really needed to observe the specimen in person before making a full commitment. Fortunately, it was very easy to find. I have not seen this variety in the Park before, so will be anxious to hear if it is in our records. I am delighted to have been able to document this spectacularly beautiful Coralroot variety.
I could have gone home happy at that point, but y'know, I was already out there, so...well, I guess you'll just have to tune in tomorrow, won't you?
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