Rattlesnake Plantain Seed Heads

An abundance of Orchid flowers should translate into an abundance of Orchid seeds. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera pubescens, is the earliest common orchid to bloom at Blue Jay Barrens, so it makes sense that it would be the first to develop seed pods. It looks as though seeds from this species are going to be quite abundant this year.

There are many ways of assessing the health of a plant population. Counting total plants or just counting blooming individuals are two common methods that I frequently use. Counts such as these are fairly easy to accomplish and allow you to track changes in population size over time. If I were to choose a single indicator that I felt most represented a thriving plant population, it would be the ability of the plants to produce an abundance of viable seed. For that reason, I’m always encouraged by the sight of plants developing masses of seeds.

Rattlesnake Plantain is one of those plants that produces a tiny seed that is distributed by the wind. The long flower stalk elevates the seed head so the seeds are more likely to be caught and carried by the wind. Wind action also causes the stalk to flip back and forth in a way that propels the seeds from their capsule, so there is more seed released during windy times. It would really be something if all those seeds could produce plants, but the likelihood is slim of any one seed landing in a suitable area for germination.

The height and thickness of the flower stalk seems out of balance with the leaf base. It may take the plant several years to store enough energy to send up that stalk and produce seeds.

I still think the leaves are the most attractive part of the Rattlesnake Plantain. The leaf cluster present the year before flowering is particularly impressive. The leaves often decline and the leaf cluster may die completely after flowering, but there are usually offshoot plants that develop to take its place. The leaves and flower stalk develop from a rhizome that often branches at the site of the leaf clusters, so even if one leaf cluster dies, the plant continues to live. What sometimes appears to be a group of many plants is often just a collection of leaf clusters arising from rhizomes that originally came from a single seed derived plant. The rhizome develops roots beneath the leaf clusters so that it can appear that the plants are independent of each other. This causes people to think that they are seeing a collection of individual plants instead of a clonal colony that developed from a single source.

Christmas in April

I must admit to having had strongly conflicting emotions when I found this piece of trash in the woods. When I first saw it from a distance, I had my typical negative emotions towards litter. However, when I caught sight of the picture, I experienced the sudden flush of joy that a child gets when confronted by Christmas. The litter suddenly had value and was no longer trash. With the folded scrap secure in my pack, I carried along a little bit of Christmas on the rest of my walk.

A decorated Christmas tree. Maybe not traditional for Christmas, but a Serviceberry in bloom certainly appears to be adorned with ornaments. The showy white flowers of these small understory trees become quite noticeable in the springtime woodland.

A present under the tree. The Eastern Box Turtles dig in for protection on cool spring nights. It’s not unusual to see them decorated with dried mud picked up from their temporary quarters.

A Christmas plant. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is one of the most beautiful plants in the woods. The dark green leaves with their white veins are so attractive that it seems a distraction to put a bloom atop the plant.

A Christmas song. Neither a partridge nor a pear tree, but a beautiful song. Field sparrows have taken to the low trees around the field to advertise their claiming of a territory and availability as a mate. The melodious song is one of those good things that comes from a small package.

Attractive Foliage Plants

Many plants increase their beauty when they develop flowers, but there are others that are more attractive without the adornment of a bloom. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain, Goodyera pubescens, is one such plant. The light colored veins against the dark green background make this one of the most beautiful plants in the woods. If this was a house plant it would probably be in every home in America.

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is a member of the Orchid family. Like many orchids, it doesn’t bloom every season. Most of the time it just expresses itself as compact whorls of basal leaves growing in the shadows of the deciduous forest. The leaves remain throughout the year and are a welcome sight in the middle of winter.

I’ll admit that the spike of white flowers is attractive, but it only lasts for a short time. This is how the spike will look through the winter. Those bladders along the stem are full of the tiny seeds that tend to trickle out over the course of several months.

A plant often found growing in association with Rattlesnake Plantain is the Spotted Wintergreen, Chimaphila maculata. I can’t look at this plant without thinking of Christmas. The least little bit of sunlight causes these leaves to glow.

The flower stalk often looks like it belongs to the same plant as those beautiful leaves. I managed to miss seeing the showy flower this year. It appears that some seeds will result from this year’s blooms. Maybe I can collect some seed and raise a few of these plants.

This is another evergreen plant. I think the biggest struggle for both the Wintergreen and the Plantain is getting out from under the leaves that cover them each autumn. By November, the little plants will be completely buried by leaves, but next spring they will again be visible. It’s sort of remarkable how this happens.