" "Pike's three-birds orchid,"... newly discovered East Texas blossom named for a Lufkin wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife who discovered it last summer.
It was... the crested coral root [Hexalectris spicata], that drew Dick Pike to the depths of the Davy Crockett National Forest... Aug. 26, 2005, when... a bed of snow-white blossoms with delicate cerise and lime edges caught his eye. "... it has very small above-ground stems appearing only a few days a year," said Pike... "... it was the first Triphora found in Texas," Pike said. ... Paul Brown with the University of Florida Herbarium declared Pike's discovery a new variety. ... Pike's first observation included 33 plants along a 100-foot-long slope beneath a heavily shaded canopy of 150-200 year-old mixed hardwoods and pines. Pike's field notes and pictures and Brown's botanical/historical research culminated in their article, published Aug. 15 in the North American Native Orchid Journal. ... "Wild Orchids of Texas: a Field Guide," ... which will include Pike's newly classified variety, is expected next year. ... Adhering to scientific classification protocol, Pike's new variety refers to its location, Triphora Trianthophora Var. Texensis... Brown gave Pike's Texas orchid two common names which will be left to wildflower enthusiasts and writers to favor and promote one over the other Pike's three birds orchid or Texas three birds orchid." Article URL : http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/09/3/orchid.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=9 see photo : [caption : "Wildlife biologist discovered last year that these 4-inch-tall, snow-white orchids in the Davy Crockett National Forest are the first of their kind known in Texas, and researchers have named them 'Pike's three birds orchid'"] http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/03/45/48/image_4748453.jpg ********* Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
