August 06, 1987 - He's Hooked on OrchidsHe's Hooked on Orchids
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
Summer months are filled with so
much activity, one hardly has time
to write. With the perfect weather
we've been having for sailing, whale
watching at Montauk and an orchid
safari, it's hard to know where to
start. Since orchids blossom for such
a short time, we'll invite you to
travel with us and hold whale watch-
ing for later.
It all started months ago when the
Long Island Botanical Society set up
their calendar for coming field trips
and my eye caught "Orchids --
Moores Woods to the Walking
Dunes." I've been hooked on orchids
ever since that master naturalist, Gil
Raynor, over 40 years ago introduced
me to this exotic bit of botany.
We had been birding out at Mon-
tauk when he suggested we visit a
site he knew along the great south
cliffs where we could see the rare or-
chid, arethusa or dragon's mouth.
Never being without my camera, I
naturally jumped at the chance and
as we walked through the thickets
and low trees of the area, I became
more and more excited about the
thought of seeing this beautiful or-
chid. I'd read about it and other or-
chids on Long Island in a small book-
let that Roy Latham, the famous
naturalist of Orient, had written
years ago, but knew only the com-
mon pink lady's slipper orchard at
that time. Today even these are be-
coming difficult to find with all the
building and disruption of habitat
that is going on.
When we finally located the site, I
couldn't believe what an elegant
beauty stood before me. It was not as
large as our commercial orchids, but
in every way as colorful and delicate
in design. Looking through the lens
of my old Exakta camera, I knew
right then and there I'd have to know
more about orchids.
Moores Woods to Napeague
Our caravan of fellow botanists,
headed by Bob Zaremba of the New
York State Heritage Foundation and
Chris Mangels from Nature Conser-
vancy, arrived at Moores Woods at
about 9 o'clock. We moved into the
cool woods from the east side. Our
group was small enough so that it
was easy for everyone to be heard
and a more intimate conversation
about plants could be had.
Our goal was to find the cranefly
orchid, the rarest orchid in New York
State and one that is only found in
Moores Woods. Like many wild or-
chids -- and there are over 40 of them
on Long Island -- this one is elusive
for its winter leaves have dried up
and shriveled away, leaving only a
dainty flowered stem to find. In that
great woods, it took us some time to
find it and when we did, we all ex-
citedly gathered around this seldom -
seen southern visitor. This is the
northern -most limit of its range. As
each person found their own particu-
lar plant, I'd see them bend down
seemingly paying homage as they. in-
spected the delicate little flowers up
closely.
Later we were to find the downy
rattlesnake plantain, another orchid
with clusters of tiny white flowers
atop a long slender stem. What was
just as impressive as the flowers
were the handsome leaves. They
were a soft bluish -green with white
vein markings which set them aside
Focus on
Nature
from all other orchid leaves.
We wandered through these mag-
nificent woods with conversations
bouncing back and forth about this
plant or that tree or that flower.
Everyone was amazed that this piece
of woods had been kept from develop-
ment and thought how fortunate the
people of Greenport and Southold are
in having this outdoor museum and
classroom for present and future gen-
erations. It's about the only large
piece of woodland left on the North
Fork.
Ferry Traffic Backed Up
From Greenport we had planned to
go across the ferry, through Shelter
Island and on to the south side. But
when we went to turn off the Main
Road we saw a ferry line extending
for three blocks or more and decided
to turn around and drive. It seemed
every tourist was on the road that af-
ternoon.
Everything went fine until we hit
the south side where we again found
more tourists jamming the roads, so
we took some of the back roads that
wound around hill and dale and fi-
nally out onto Route 114 south of Sag
Harbor where we all congregated
once again. Here we found a hybrid
yellow fringed orchid along the road-
side and a short distance away on the
bank of a ditch another less signifi-
cant little club -spur orchid. Never in
a million years would I have been
able to find it without these experts
along.
Next on our list was the yellow
fringed orchid which proved to be
most spectacular. We counted over
122 blossoms, which makes it the
largest colony in New York State.
Further on we located the stately
white fringed orchid. Here the clus-
ters of half -inch white flowers made
a dazzling display amongst the damp
greenery where they grew.
Time and time again I'd peer
through my camera lens where I was
captured by the exquisite blossoms
before me. By focusing through the
camera and concentrating on the
flower's delicate shape and form, 1
found its beauty even more en-
hanced. It's that picture that will be
stamped in my mind whenever I
think of a white fringed orchid. We
found eight of these orchids blooming
at this location. Luck was with us as
the highway department had missed
this area with its roadside mowing.
A Hidden Beauty
Further along we found the ragged
fringed orchid, or green fringed as
some know it, another inconspicuous
orchid that most would pass by be-
cause of its greenish flower and stem
that blends in so well with the sur-
roundings. By now we were well into
the afternoon, but Montauk's Walk-
ing Dunes still lured us.
Back on the road with the busy
traffic, we sped along the highway to
Montauk and then north on the old
tarred road to the Walking Dunes.
Sorry to say in this once - isolated
area that few people visited, today
four - wheel -drive vehicles travel the
paths and beaches while people seem
to be almost everywhere leaving
C89 r ,a toupuXasmiT xlottu 901 -\A8 sQsq
The Suffolk Times /August 6, 1987 /Page 9A
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
LADY SLIPPER ORCHID - -Of the 30 or more orchids that the late
Roy Latham of Orient found on the East End, the pink lady's slipper is
probably the one most people have seen.
their litter behind.
Following a path along the base of
the dune, we came to a pine thicket
where we saw the splendid crested
fringed orchid. Barbara's sharp eyes
also picked up the delicate slender
ladies tresses orchids, a spiral net-
work of tiny white blossoms on an al-
most leafless stem. In one of the low
moist spots we found the grass pink
orchid blossoming in all its elegance.
Here again Barbara's sharp eyes
picked up a tiny sundew, a plant that
has sparkling drops of sticky dew on
its leaves that attract insects. Like
on flypaper, the insects are caught
and then their nutrients are ex-
tracted by the plant to help supple-
ment the lack of nutrients in the poor
soil the plant is growing in.
We had spent a wonderful day in
the field with excited people who
were fascinated by the world of
plants. It was a stimulating experi-
ence and one which Barbara and I
shall long remember. Long Island or-
chids are still with us, but each year
their chance for survival becomes
less and less. As more people are at-
racted to our East End, the habitat
available for our wildlife and plants
becomes less and less.
' THB
NEW HOME OF
CLAM DIGGERS
SERVING CREATIVE CUISINE
Including: Fresh Seafoods, Pastas and Local Vegetables
Dinner Served: Weekdays 6-10 pm a Weekends 6-11 pm
Closed Tuesday
15 Grand Ave. Shelter Island Heights New York 11965
749 -2005 Andy and Eleanor
Reservations DiVincenxo