RHH's photos with the keyword: unalascensis

Only a few more pictures to post from the Olympics. This is the view north from Hurrican Ridge (looking back toward Puget Sound and the Straits of San Juan). Some of the wildflowers for which this area is notable are visible in the foreground, including the miniature variety of Piperia unalascensis, the Alaskan Piperia. The picture was taken by my wife late in the day.

I took this picture to show the dwarf form of the Alaskan Piperia (Piperia unalascensis fma. olympica) - the light green flower spikes - in its habitat on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park. I am not entirely happy with the picture for obvious reasons. The other wildflowers in the picture are some I've posted recently, the bluish-purple a Lupine, probably the Subalpine Lupine, the red-orange the Harsh Paintbrush, the white cylindrical heads of flowers the Western Bistort with a dwarf Columbia Lily in the upper left of the picture.

The Alaskan Piperia, Piperia unalascensis, is a common and not very showy native orchid that is found along the Pacific Coast and across the northern USA and Canada. The plant can be quite tall, nearly three feet (80+ cm) but the flowers are tiny, around a 1/4 inch (5-7 mm). There is a dwarf form of this plant that grows on Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains that is less than a foot tall (30cm) and these flowers were photographed there.

We found this orchid also along the Old Blewett Road, but it is certainly not as showy as the Platanthera I've already posted. This has tiny green flowers on long slender stems. It's botanical name is Piperia unalascensis. The photo was taken by my wife. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/07/w...