The March show table proved to have stiff competition but I managed to pull off a second place ribbon on this very first re-bloom of Paph Shun-Fa Pulsar (4 years in the waiting!). Paph godephroyae is a charming miniature that I was also happy to re-bloom for the first time.
During a visit at my hometown of Kapuskasing back in June 2019, to my absolute delight I discovered a precious patch of striped coralroot orchids growing out in the open adjacent to a coniferous-deciduous mixed forest!!
Striped coral root are quite bizarre plants; for one thing, they appear to have no leaves (the bladeless leaves sheath the base of the pink to red stem and hug the stem) and have no chlorophyll. This means they cannot get their nutrients from photosynthesis. Secondly, these orchids are actually parasitic organisms! They are described as being myco-heterotrophic and obtain nutrients from mycorhyzal fungi.
This strange and beautiful plant is considered a common native orchid in Canada but are quite rare and vulnerable in their northern range. Needless to say, finding them so far north was an interesting and exciting discovery!
