Fieldtrip to Durham County, NC - July 22, 2007
After a unsuccessful attempt last year, today I hit pay dirt. Finally I found the rare and elusive purple fringeless orchid - Platanthera peramoena! The overgrown thicket was at times painful to penetrate. Briars, blackberries, honeysuckle, and poison ivy all tangled together with woody shrubs made this difficult a task. I have the scratches to prove it. Yet it was well worth the effort to see, and photograph this beautiful plant. I've included some photos from my first visit last July.