Spiranthes odorata (Fragrant ladies'-tresses orchid)

On the bank of the same creek along Myrtle Head Road, I saw something that made me do a double-take. I saw some spiky flower heads and wasn't sure what they were until I got much closer.

These plants form a huge group of Fragrant ladies'-tresses orchids! Unfortunately, there are only a few open flowers remaining on each plant -- the remaining flowers having gone to seed. Each inflorescece was up to 8 inches (~20 cm) tall -- each flowering stem being up to 24 inches (~60 cm) tall! What it must have looked like ten days earlier...