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jonathanrigden

The Magnificent Magnicamporum

In September and October, many of the flowers that bloom in the bluff prairies have completed their cycle. Early bloomers such as pasqueflower, violets, and puccoons have long faded away, while midsummer bloomers like purple prairie clover, leadplant, and bee balm have more recently finished their show. But as one season transitions into the next, there are still a few more acts to unfold on the prairie. Some consider the upcoming performances, featuring asters and some of the goldenrods, with Great Plains Lady's-Tresses occasionally lurking in the background, to be their favorite and most enjoyable. Recently, while working on one of the bluff prairies, I came across a nest of these exquisite orchids. This was particularly rewarding as I had not seen them in the same location last year. It is known, however, that these orchids are selective bloomers, only flowering in ideal conditions and not every year.


Although less conspicuous than the current stars of the show, their role is just as memorable, akin to Meinhardt Raabe's portrayal of the Coroner in the Wizard of Oz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cMsXBJ0Y98 


Raabe, a Wisconsin native from Watertown, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meinhardt_Raabe delivered a few unforgettable lines in the movie that live on:


"As coroner, I must aver

I thoroughly examined her"


Now, how many of us know the meaning of "aver" before using a search engine? Not until I looked it up did I learn it means "to state or assert to be the case".


Well, as one who frequents the bluff prairies,


As a prairie worker, I must aver,

This orchid is most spectacular!



The scientific name, Spiranthes magnicamporum, refers to the spiraling arrangement of the flower and that it grows mostly on the Great Plains of North America. The common name, "Lady's-Tresses", gets the name from looking like braided hair.


In Wisconsin, it is found in the south and west


And in Minnesota in the southwest:


Unlike other species in the Spiranthes genus, it is said to have a distinctive and pleasant odor like almonds... or vanilla... or coumarin... or as John Curtis said "like Bull Durham tobacco, only sweeter". Some are able to detect the plant by smell from a distance before even seeing it, but I must admit, I'm not one of them!


What is the reason for a plant to invest in the production of a substance similar to coumarin? It is thought to serve as a defense mechanism against potential insect predators that may attempt to consume it. While some may associate coumarin with coumadin, an anticoagulant used as a blood thinner, it is important to note that coumarin is the precursor to coumadin and does not possess anticoagulant properties on its own.


Another feature that distinguishes it is the way the green sepals curve above the flower, as in the the following photo with a red arrow, that are said to look like "cow's horns", almost like they are guarding it from harm.


Yet another feature distinguishing it is that it has only very small, if any, lower leaves during flowering time as shown:


For more information, here is a previous blog post about this orchid: https://www.friendsoftheblufflands.org/post/the-ladies-have-it

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