Calypso orchids, or fairyslippers, (Calypso bulbosa) are the most commonly seen Orchid around here. I saw a patch of about 100 of them along Little River Airport road, in a shady, mossy spot - the most I've seen in one area.
Orchidaceae is the plant family second in line for highest number of species (next to Asteraceae), and its species are found all over the world. The orchid family is most diverse in the tropics, where around 1/3 the world's species live. Here in this county we've got a pretty good couple o' handfuls, with about 2 dozen species. Six of the of those are rare species. Be conscious that calypso orchids, though not uncommon, are not capable of handling much disturbance, so they should be treated as though they were. Although the tuber like corms underground are said to be edible, its not advised they be foraged upon since it doesn't do the plant populations any good to root around in their substrate. And I've read they don't transplant well either.
These orchids are bent over backward to orient their one large modified petal (labellum) downward, as a platform for pollinators. Having one modified petal is characteristic of the Orchid family. And the sepals are petal look-alikes, making the flowers even more conspicuous.
Also characteristic of Orchids is their specialized relationships with their pollinators. Calypso orchids are pollinated by queen bumblebees. The insect is lured into exploring the flower by the hairs at the opening to the flower that look like anthers, and the forked structures that resemble nectaries. But they're deceived, as no nectar is produced by this flower.
These photos are from April 2.
