I have been on the look-out for this red-listed orchid since 2007 when I received a brochure entitled "Have You Seen the Phantom?" at a meeting of the Central Valley Naturalists. In B.C. the orchid only grows in the lower Fraser Valley, southeastern Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. It flowers between May and July, but the number of plants in a population that produce flowers in a given year is relatively low.

Two days ago, I literally stumbled across four specimens. As I didn't have my camera with me, I went back the next day and found four more. Several of the orchids were in full bloom, others still had closed blossoms, and two were past their prime.

As orchids go, they are not spectacular as one would expect. They are saprophytes (they don't have chlorophyll, similar to Indian Pipe) and they rely on decaying plants to obtain their nutrients. But the fact that they are endangered and that most people will have never come across one, prompted me to post some of the pictures I took yesterday afternoon.



Enjoy!

Great find Hedda! Do you know what this is?

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Are you trying to embarrass me? [:I][:I]

After daring to sneak a second look, I would say pinedrops, another saprophyte.

Good find Grey. [8D]

A great find, and good photos of it too.

K

Just got back from a hike on my favourite trail in Abbotsford. I had some GPS co-ordinates of a phantom orchid find from last year and lo and behold, I got another one!

My first find was in Chilliwack. On Friday I'm going for the hat trick.

HaHa, Hedda, I did mention forest phallus when on the trail that day!
Thanks for the ID, I've been wonering for 4 years!

Thanks for posting, we don't hear much from naturalists. Glad to see they still exist. i think some one had a townsend's bat a long while back, nobody noticed.

It would be very benficial if you could submit your phantom orchid findings with coordinates to the Conservation Data Center so that they are mapped and protected. Otherwise development can occur that destroys them or their habitat.