Platanthera lacera (Ragged fringed orchid)

In preparation for an upcoming orchid hunting trip in two weeks, I decided to make a day trip to a site near Columbia, South Carolina to see if Platanthera lacera (Ragged fringed orchid) was blooming early this year as are many of our other native orchids.

I was shown this site five or six years ago, and I had not visited it in the last four years, so I did not know the current status of the plants.

I arrived at the site to find that much of the tree cover had been removed. The site was not large to begin with. Now, it's just a small swath next to a railroad track. Fortunately, I found four plants in bloom and spent about two hours taking photographs...