Thursday, May 20, 2010

I Know Its A Wild Flower, But...


Does anybody out there know what its called?  My Grandma Jo calls them lady slippers...


They don't grow in large groups and seem to be found more so in heavily forested areas.  If you can find wild mushrooms around, you can usually find them...at least 'round these parts!  ( :



A little bit closer view!



This fungus was about 4 feet away.  It is a Morell...kinda like the shoes, and probably spelled wrong.  Its a wee bit past harvesting and was infested with ants when I plucked it from the ground.  Deer hadn't even gotten around to nibbling on it.  ( :  Chad LOVES these nasty things, me not so much.  But the dogs and I enjoy wandering hunting around  for them, so really its a win win situation during mushroom season!

2 comments:

Karen V said...

Calypso Orchid - http://www.glacier-national-park-travel-guide.com/purple-wild-flowers.html

Paste the link, then scroll down.

"While not a purple wildflower, the Calypso Orchid, or Fairyslipper, is a pink wildflower that grows up to a height of 15cm. Calypso Orchids are rare flowers commonly spotted in dense forests amongst pine needles during springtime in Glacier National Park.

It is a single flower with numerous pink petals that have purple stripes near the bottom and purple spots near the tip. There is a yellow bulb in the center with dozens of reddish needles extending downward.

Interesting Fact: Native Americans used the Calypso Orchid as treatment for epilepsy by inserting the flowers into the mouth of a patient undergoing a seizure."

Karen V said...

LOL! I goggleds "purple wildflowers"