Spiranthes ovalis var. erostellata (October ladies'-tresses orchid, Northern oval ladies'-tresses orchid) -- basal leaves and stem

Thanks to my flickr friend, John Petranka, I was able to photograph this beautiful woodland orchid. The last time I photographed this species was in 2004 for my book, "Wild Orchids of South Carolina". A couple of days ago, I saw that he had photographed them, and he was kind enough to meet me at the site (a 4-hour drive each way for me) to show me where they were located. The plants were a bit smaller than the ones I photographed in McDowell County, North Carolina, but they were every bit as perfect...

The location for these is Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, a property that is owned and managed by the Triangle Land Conservancy. It is near the city of Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina.