Platanthera cristata (Crested fringed orchid)

Another day trip (four hours driving each way), this time to the Francis Marion National Forest in Berkeley County, South Carolina. This location is thirty or forty miles northeast of Charleston, South Carolina and consists of about 250,000 acres of swamps and mixed woods -- the best parts being composed of longleaf pine savannahs.

The reason for my visit was to check on the status of the fringed orchids. I wanted to see if the several species of fringed orchids were going to give us a good show this year. I really didn't expect to see any of them in bloom except maybe the Crested fringed orchid, since it is usually the first of the fringed orchids to bloom in this region.

Obviously, I was not disappointed. I drove around for several hours, stopping at one place then another to photograph this diminutive beauty. Why I continue to conduct my mini field trips in 100+ degree F. temperatures, I don't know. Yes I do. I'm nuts for native orchids...