Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Round-leaved Orchid

HAPPY 4th JULY to all Americans, wherever you happen to be living at the moment! A special thought to all those men and women who serve their country, either at home or overseas, and those who make sacrifices every day so that the rest of Americans can live in freedom. We, in Canada, celebrated Canada Day on 1 July. The day before yesterday, 2 July 2013, our temperatures reached 100F. No air-conditioning at home, so I drove my car out to Maclean Pond, which was as far as the Elbow Falls Trail is open now, due to all the damage caused by the Flood of the Century that started about two weeks ago. I believe that Calgary's State of Emergency is being lifted today. Photographed this tiny Round-leaved Orchid in the forest near the pond. After Maclean Pond, I drove around the backroads SW of Calgary, further avoiding going back to my home that was like an oven. "This is the only Alberta orchid that has white or mauve flowers with the lip heavily spotted with purple. The flower stem, which is more properly called a scape because it bears no leaves along its length, grows 10-25 cm high from fibrous roots and a slender rhizome. At its base is a solitary rounded leaf, 3-10 cm long. At the top it carries a raceme (stalked spike) of 2-several showy flowers, each about 1 cm long." www.anpc.ab.ca/assets/Orchid.pdf

Macro photograph of one tiny flower of the Round-leaved Orchid plant. I always think they look like little angels with wings and halo and wearing polkadot pyjamas : ) Photographed at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park on July 8th. Also known as Round-leaved Bog Orchid or Small Round-leaved Orchid. talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/?s=1069 Going to dash out for two or three hours with my camera - need this, as I have just learned that the buyer of my brother's house in England has withdrawn, and so now really all I can do is allow it to be placed on auction. It has taken the "buyer" about three months to get to this point! There was even a SOLD sign in the front garden. So disappointing - and of course it means another huge financial loss plus more expenses .... sigh. Nearly 8:30 p.m. - major storm is about to happen - thunder, lightning and - rain? Oh, and hail.

This is just a single tiny flower of the flower cluster of the wild Round-leaved Orchid. There are several (2-8) of these small flowers along a main stem. This plant grows in mossy areas of moist coniferous forests. It looks rather like a little angel with wings and a polk-dot gown. Very delicate little flowers, each one 12-15 mm long.

An attractive small wildflower that is a welcome sight on stream banks, in moist woods and bogs.