I just got back from People's Forest in NW CT. The acaules are now in full bloom. I was also looking for whirled pogonia so followed their cogrower - Indian Cucumber Root - well of the trail and down a steep slope. On the slope I found what was clearly a single clone of the darkest red - black cherry - color I have ever seen. I followed the clone up the slope to find this plant, presumably the progenitor since it was near the top of the slope and the dark flowered plants flowed down a strip of the slope perhaps 30 feet wide, from here. Of course all the surrounding acaule are beautiful as well, but this is a very special plant, as are its offspring. I will put additional shots of the clone in the Cypripedium Gallery section later this evening along with a single alba that we found.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/fundulopanchax/Cypripedium/Cypacaule28May2005DarkCherry.jpg

Ron Burch

Thanks, Ron, for letting us know they are blooming in your neck of the woods. I was supposed to go out this morning but got called into work of all the terrible things! :mad:

Will maybe go this evening after work, or Monday for sure.

WOW! :clap:

Ron, that is such an intense rasberry color and the photo is incredible. I took "my" walk to the river today here in Maine. Found some Cyps, but we are weeks behind you.

Somehow as I was walking in the woods, I was imagining forum members in the woods walking simultaneously in other areas of New England, with their cameras, taking photos, and making up for 2 weeks of rain! And then I log on and see your post. :ohmy: Please post more photos. Albas? I've never seen them.

Will post my photos separately. (I have a little "tour of the Maine Woods" thing going.)

Those are beautiful acule Ron. Good find :-dance: :Party: :-dance:

Is that hemlock in the background? If it is that is a species that seems to also be present in acid forests in NC were I saw acule. I'll keep my eyes open in the future when I find Indian Cuc. too. Indian cuc. is around here in middle TN, but not hemlock, (and no acule either).

Maybe you could pollinate a few and collect some seed capsules.

Oh, I forgot to say earlier that I also remember finding Indian Cucumber near my acaules last year. (They're yummy!) So, I'll have to look around also, though I'll need to find a pic first so I know what I am looking for. Also, Rick, my acaule also grow near hemlock. So, now that I think of it, there may be another trail I should check, but it is one where much of the hemlock was damaged in a microburst a few years ago. I've never walked that one in Cyp. season. Will have to do so now.

What is Indian Cucumber? Is it the same thing as Black Cohosh? I have one of those by the house. Photos would help! :D

Wow nice picture! Beautiful. I bet ours are already done blooming down here.

Susan,
I'm pretty sure Indian Cuke is different than Black Cohosh. Here's a link.
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/medeolavirg.html

The common name I am pretty sure is simply derived from the fact that it was a food for the Native peoples. The root, when you dig it up, tastes quite a lot like a cucumber. I've never seen one flowering.

How long do the acaule stay in bloom for? Anyone know?

Thanks!

That is an impressive clone!!
Here in S. Ohio they tend to grow by cedar trees as our hemlocks are few and far between. They also grow by Mountain Laurel in quite acidic conditions.
Thanks for sharing that beauty.

Jon

Hi Ron , I love the deep raspberry color. Very nice find.

That is an impressive clone!!
Here in S. Ohio they tend to grow by cedar trees as our hemlocks are few and far between. They also grow by Mountain Laurel in quite acidic conditions.
Thanks for sharing that beauty.

Jon

Some of mine are also near the Mtn. Laurel - adjacent to our acidic bog area.

More Photos Please!!!!!

The place I found them in NC (near Ashville) was fairly dry. It was dominated by hemlock and rhododendrons (a relative of the laurels).

It's kind of interesting that some of the Parvis in N Vietnam are found in areas with rhododendron species.

Cyp acaule usually grow in very acid soil. Here in CT that almost always means stands of white pines. The ones I follow in Peoples Forest are in a small, about 80 acre, patch of virgin white pine forest - there are only a few little patches still present in New England. At the edges of the white pine forest are lots of hemlocks with fewer white pines. Hemlock forest is also a fairly common habitat for acaule, or so I have been told - I look through many hemlock forests and have not found any acaule. The plants are in bloom for about 10 - 14 days depending upon temperature.

Indian cucumber root was once common but less so now. Stands are most common here in white pine forests. I have some photos of them in bloom - tiny but intricate flowers. I will dig some out and post.

Ron Burch

Here is a typical group of Cyp acaule (well perhaps a little more colorful than typical) as well as a habitat shot. The large trunks are very big white pines with an understory of hemlocks. All the plants on the pine duff are Cypripedium acaule. In lighter areas there are also lots of Canada mayflowers and starflowers, and in lighter areas yet, lots of Indian cucumber roots and two other orchids - Goodyera pubescens and Goodyera tesselata.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/fundulopanchax/Cypripedium/Cypacaulegroup.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/fundulopanchax/Cypripedium/Cypacaulehabitat.jpg

Ron Burch

Wow! look at all of them! :joy:

What a beautiful sight and site! Cyps in the wild! :clap2:

That's really cool Ron :clap2: :clap2:

That picture is very similar to the site I found in NC with the gradient and openness. Is the rock fairly close to the surface? At the NC site chirt like slate or limestone (does not raise pH) was about 6" below the duff.

Also the big trees in the NC site were the hemlocks, and the understory was rhododendron.

Yes, this is rock just below the pine duff. In fact, about 200 feet or so past this the forest ends with a 75 foot or so cliff of bare rock going about halfway down to the river, then more jumbled boulders. There are no rhododendrons here (although they are not uncommon in the general area). There are many mountain laurels along the forest edges, and many small ones quickly spring up when a clearing is made by a large fallen tree.

Ron

beautiful....very nice :clap2: