Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis (Northern slender ladies'-tresses orchid)

These are the remainder of the Spiranthes orchid shots from yesterday's trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

The Spiranthes lacera variety gracilis were a huge, huge surprise, since they quit blooming in our immediate area in July! It's much cooler at 5500 feet in elevation, so I guess they got a later start. I found three plants in bloom while checking out the other Spiranthes ochroleuca blooming at the same site.

I know, there are some "repeats" with the Spiranthes ochroleuca, but these were so nice that I had to take a few more shots...

These particular orchids are tall and the stem is unbelievably thin. It was difficult to get it to keep still in the slight breeze up there. We wildflower photographers have our way, though. Some tiny forked sticks placed strategically around the stem (just below the shot) seem to work pretty well...