The white fringeless orchid is
at risk, reports the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Although not facing extinction, numbers
are low numbers at more than half the orchid’s known locations.
Apparently, there are 58 known
occurrences of the orchid, across five south-eastern states, mostly in forested
wetlands.
Sadly, the afflicted orchid it
appears to depend on a limited number of butterflies (the silver spotted
skipper, spicebush swallowtail (pictured), and eastern tiger swallowtail) and a single
species of fungi to complete its life cycle, so it is highly vulnerable. the
silver spotted skipper, spicebush swallowtail, and eastern tiger swallowtail.
One population in Winston
County, Alabama, disappeared after the removal of beaver dams, while others
have been lost through construction. Deer have been spotted eating them, and
they’ve even been dug up and consumed by feral hogs. Humans are also to blame,
still collecting this beautiful orchid for sale.
The service hopes to the
increase conservation efforts needed to recover the plant.
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