"Chapman's orchid has been found on The Nature Conservancy's Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary... near Silsbee.
The orchid is bright yellow orange in color, with multiple blooms densely packed on a narrow stem. The flower is pollinated by large butterflies, including swallowtails.The Chapman's orchid has been found in only three counties in Texas, including Hardin, Orange and Tyler. It also grows in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida. The orchid is found in wet areas of sphagnum moss and acidic soils within longleaf pine savannas. Nature Conservancy staff member Bob Boensch, conservation forest technician, located the orchids in an area of the preserve following a prescribed burn. Dense vegetation and debris from Hurricane Rita has made finding plants such as the orchid a challenge. Chapman's orchid was first described in 1903 when a specimen was collected in Apalachicola, Florida, and was named after the collector, A.W. Chapman. For many years, there was debate over whether the plant was a separate species or a hybrid of two other similar-looking orchids. Based on its pollination and studies of populations of the orchid, scientists determined that the Chapman's orchid is a separate and unique species. The wetland savannas where the orchid grows are considered among the most threatened and rare plant communities in the entire state. Before East Texas was densely settled, these savannas were kept open by frequent natural fires and were lush with grasses, wildflowers and a scattering of longleaf pine trees." URL : http://www.thehardincountynews.com/news/2007/0822/News/023.html *************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
