RHH's photos with the keyword: phantom orchid

This orchid, the only species in its genus to be found in North America, is without chlorophyll and without leaves. It lives, via a symbiotic relationship with a fungus, off decaying material on the forest floor. We had seen these in southern Washington and found them again in northern California.

The Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is the only species of the genus in North America (Europe has numerous species). It is found along the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia and unlike its European cousins is leafless and without chlorophyll, depending on a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter. Because it has no chlorophyll it is often found on dark forest floors where little else is growing and where it stands out dramatically. Traveling along the Columbia River we hiked in the area of Dog Mountain and went to see these especially where they were growing with various Coralroots, also leafless and without chlorophyll. It was a very windy day and in taking pictures we had to contend not only with the wind but with the poor light in which these were growing. In many parts of their range they are rare, British Columbia having but a couple of closely monitored locations, but they are not rare in the Columbia River gorge or in California and we would see them again as traveled south.

The Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is the only species of the genus in North America (Europe has numerous species). It is found along the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia and unlike its European cousins is leafless and without chlorophyll, depending on a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter. Because it has no chlorophyll it is often found on dark forest floors where little else is growing and where it stands out dramatically. Traveling along the Columbia River we hiked in the area of Dog Mountain and went to see these especially where they were growing with various Coralroots, also leafless and without chlorophyll. It was a very windy day and in taking pictures we had to contend not only with the wind but with the poor light in which these were growing. In many parts of their range they are rare, British Columbia having but a couple of closely monitored locations, but they are not rare in the Columbia River gorge or in California and we would see them again as traveled south.

The Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is the only species of the genus in North America (Europe has numerous species). It is found along the west coast of North America from California to British Columbia and unlike its European cousins is leafless and without chlorophyll, depending on a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to obtain nutrients from decaying organic matter. Because it has no chlorophyll it is often found on dark forest floors where little else is growing and where it stands out dramatically. Traveling along the Columbia River we hiked in the area of Dog Mountain and went to see these especially where they were growing with various Coralroots, also leafless and without chlorophyll. It was a very windy day and in taking pictures we had to contend not only with the wind but with the poor light in which these were growing. In many parts of their range they are rare, British Columbia having but a couple of closely monitored locations, but they are not rare in the Columbia River gorge or in California and we would see them again as traveled south.

This is the Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, one of the most unusual of our native orchids and also quite rare across much of its range. The plant is mycoheterotrophic, totally without chlorophyll, bone white, with only a spot of orange color in the lip and leafless, rising from forest floors like a phantom and then disappearing again. We went to a location in southern Washington where these are abundant, and found a lot of them but only one plant in bloom. We then went another location and found photography there very difficult. The Phantoms were in bloom at the second location, a lot of them, but on a dark forest with a stiff breeze blowing and the forest floor full of Poison Oak. We managed, both of us, to avoid the Poison Oak (thankfully, since it can be nasty) and to contend with the low light and the breeze and get some pictures. I used a Litedisc reflector to help with the light, but also shot most of the photos at a much higher ISO than usual. Had to throw a lot of pictures away but a few turned out well enough to keep. Cephalanthera is a European genus primarily and this is the only species from that genus found in the Americas and it is unique even among its European cousins with its lack of chlorophyll and leaves, though there are European species with white flowers. It certainly is a species that once seen, will never be forgotten and one of the jewels of our northwest forests.

Cephalanthera austiniae is the only species of the genus Cephalanthera to be found in North America. All the other species are European or Asian. It is also the only species in the genus that is without chlorophyll. It is well-named Phantom Orchid both for its lack of color and for its appearance on dark forest floors where it stands out in a very dramatic fashion. This example was photographed while on a recent orchid hunting trip with friends from Germany in the Columbia River gorge where it is quite common.

The Phantom Orchid, Cephalanthera austiniae, is one of our rarer native orchids. It is also unique in several ways. Cephalanthera is primarily a European and Asian genus with only this species in North America. In the genus this is the only species that is mycotrophic (living off decaying material in the soil) and lacking in color (many species are pink or purple in color), and it is the only North American species that is always white with only a spot of yellow-orange color on the lip. There are white forms of several other native orchids, but these plants are never anything but a stark white that makes them stand out like phantoms on the dark forests floors where they grow. Their lack of color also means, of course, that they are without chlorophyll. This example was photographed in northern California. nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2012/07/three-native-orchids-in-northern.html

The Phantom Orchid is certainly the most unusual of our native orchids. It is the only North American species from the genus Cephalanthera, but even among the other species of that genus it is unique. It is saprophytic, living off decaying material in the soil, and completely without chlorophyll. Stem, leaves and flowers are bone white, with only a spot of yellow on the lips of the flowers. The leaves are very small and the plant is mostly stem and flowers, growing as tall as 60 cm with flowers that are quite large, about 3 cm. All this adds us to quite show when the plants are in flower. Phantom Orchids grow on the forest floor, often in very open, but heavily shaded and dark areas, and the white plants make a dramatic show that cannot be missed, and that has earned this species its common name. For more pictures and information on this unusual plant see: nativeorchidsofthepacificnorthwest.blogspot.com/2010/07/p...