Pipestem State Park Hike

# 357 - Nodding Onion

While at a conference at Pipestem State Park in Southern WV, I hiked a trail described as the toughest in the park. It had steep swith backs which climbed 860 feet in the first 3/4 mile and then leveled out on a ridge for a couple miles before descending back down to the river.
I saw several wildflowers, including a new one.

The first is Nodding Onion,  Allium cernuu. It is related to Ramps.

Nodding Onion

Nodding Onion

I found a False Foxglove, but did not pay enough attention to decide if it is the Downey or Smooth Variety. 

More Summer Orchids

353 - Club Spur Orchid

 A week ago, I was at a site for Bentleys Coralroot, One of the rarest Orchids in America. See that post here.
While there, I found what I suspected was Club Spur Orchid,  Platanthera clavellata, also know as Small Green Wood Orchid and  Small Woodland Orchid. Even though the site is 70 or so miles from home, I knew I had to be there to see it in bloom. So, today was the day. The first two I saw were still not in bloom and it required a considerable hike to find some opened up. But the bonus was I found Spotted Coral Root, another new wildflower for this blog. 
(See Below)  
Two new Orchids in one day for this blog

Club Spur Orchid

Club Spur Orchid

Club Spur Orchid

 I had seen Spotted Coral Root at this site several years ago but could not find them again for this blog, where I am trying to find and photograph as many of West Virginia's wildflowers as possible.

354 - Spotted Coralroot

Rattlesnake Orchid

This site is one of the most prolific orchid sites that I know of. Many Rattlesnake Orchids were in bloom. I saw old Pink Lady Slippers, Showy Orchis and there has to be others. I found quite a few Yellow Fringed Orchids just beginning to bloom. 

Yellow Fringed Orchid 

just beginning to bloom.

Last Tuesday, I was at a site on New River looking along a forest service road for what I could find.

The first is a new one, Leaf-Cup -Polymnia canadensis 

355 - Leaf Cup

Another new flower found that day is Winged Monkeyflower - Mimulus alatus 
It is similar in appearance to Mimulus ringens (Allegheny Monkeyflower) and it occurs in the same habitats. Winged Monkeyflower differs in this manner 1) Its flowers are often pink rather than blue-violet, 2) Its leaves have narrowly winged petioles about ½" long or more, while Mimulus ringens has sessile leaves, and 3) The pedicels of its flowers vary in length from nearly zero to ½" in length, while Mimulus ringens has pedicels that are greater than ½" in length.

356 - Winged Monkeyflower

Winged Monkeyflower

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Bee Balm or Bergomont

Dolls Eyes fruit Actaea pachypoda

Ragged Fringed Orchid 

July Orchids

Bentley's Coralroot

My dad and I spent some time hiking in a national forest in Southern West Virginia near the Virginia border looking for Bentley's Coralroot. In the past, I had seen this along with Spotted Coralroot but keep missing the Spotted Coralroot, so this year I went a little later than usual. We could only find two of the Bentley's Coralroot after much searching. I'm not sure if it was bloomed and gone or was just a bad year. No Spotted Coralroot found.                                This site has many different Orchids. I saw bloomed out Pink Lady Slipper and Showy Orchis. There are many Rattlesnake Orchids that are almost in full bloom. But most interesting was an orchid that is ready to bloom but I am not sure what it is. Possibly Club Spur? So, I will need to return in a week or so. This would be a new wildflower and orchid for me in WV. Enjoy the Orchids and other wildflowers below

  

Bentley's Coralroot

Bentley's Coralroot

Rattlesnake Orchid

Possible Club Spur??

Possible Club Spur??

Southern Yellow Loosestrife

Loosestrife

Rosebay Rhododendron

Rosebay Rhododendron