"B.C. [British Columbia] Conservation Corps staff is surveying the plant [Cephalanthera austiniae] in an effort to get an accurate picture of its growth and more background on its... habitat needs. In B.C., the orchid is at the northern extent of its range and it is only found in parts of south western Vancouver Island, the southern Gulf islands, and the Upper Fraser Valley, including areas around Sumas, Mission, and the Chilliwack district where it has been found south of Cultus Lake, Ryder Lake and Promontory. Threats include habitat loss through subdivision development and forestry and native plant gathering.
... the orchid is a perennial that grows up to 65 cm tall and has 2-5 bract-like leaves. At the top of the plant is a cluster of fragrant flowers. One petal on each flower has a sac-like 'lip' with a distinctive yellow gland inside... the orchid is a saprophyte, relying on decaying plant and animal matter to get its nutrients. Its whiteness fades to a yellowish hue with age. ... interrelationship with underground roots and fungus, the ecology of which is still only poorly understood. It appears to be associated with mature coniferous or deciduous forest stands, is also found with birch trees, and frequently grows in limestone. "Not much is known about the orchid," said Ross Vennesland, Senior Ecosystems Biologist, Species at Risk. "We are still unclear on which tree species it prefers but it is possibly birch. It seems to be a three-way relationship between trees, fungi, and the orchid. It's not clear how large the fungi is below the ground. Some fungi get really big, one hundred metres across from the surface of the ground. They network like a spider web." ... Mr. Vennesland is hoping that... people will... if they find stands of the orchid... report locations to the Ministry. "This (survey) research is crucial to the long term protection of this rare plant because we currently do not have good information on where they occur or the health of the populations," he said. "The public can be of great assistance by reporting locations to the Ministry. We have recently lost some plants to collectors which is sad because there is no way to grow this plant outside of its native habitat due to the extensive below ground relationship it has with trees and a fungus." " source : http://www.theprogress.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=39&cat=48&id=692007&more= ********** see also http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~brian/phantomorchid.htm ********** regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
