Dragon Mouth
by Brook Burling
Title
Dragon Mouth
Artist
Brook Burling
Medium
Photograph
Description
Arethusa bulbosa, commonly known as Dragon's Mouth, is found in eastern and central United States and Canada, from South Carolina to Saskatchewan. It flowers in the summer, producing one bright pink flower with a whitish pink labellum marked with magenta spots and a yellow center. After flowering, it produces a solitary grass-like leaf. While the flowers are showy and fragrant, they offer little or no nectar reward to the pollinator. It is typically found in acidic, boggy conditions, especially favoring a bed of sphagnum mosses. Calopogon tuberosus has similarly colored flowers and grows in the same habitat, but unlike Arethusa, its flowers are non-resupinate (i.e., the labellum is the uppermost petal).
This orchid is considered globally secure, although it is endangered or threatened throughout much of the eastern United States.
Uploaded
May 31st, 2016
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