Tipularia discolor (Crane-fly Orchid)

Once again, we went back up to Ashmore Heritage Preserve to photograph a large clump of Rattlesnake Plantain Orchids, but once again, the flowers are not yet in full bloom -- maybe next week... Oddly enough, all of the other specimes of that orchid are almost bloomed out and are producing seed.

So, I decided that we should go another mile or so up the road to another heritage preserve calle Eva Chandler Heritage Preserve. This is the time of year I'd expect to see the Crane-fly Orchids in bloom. We did see several in bloom, but many, many more with unopened buds. Despite the lime green portion of the flower, the rest of it makes it very hard to see amongst the ferns and other plants in the woods...