Calopogon, Orchid
Calopogon is a genus of terrestrial orchids in the family Orchidaceae, comprising six known species. The genus is restricted to the United States, with five species found in southeastern U.S., but only one is found north into Wisconsin. Calopogos is also known as Grass Pink. The genus name is derived from Greek words kalos and pogon, which mean beautiful beard, in reference to the cluster of hairs that adorn the labellum. Calopogon is abbreviated as Cpg in horticultural trade. Most species of Calopogon can be found in wet, sunny swales, bogs and the marshy areas. They are usually associates with ferns, sedges, grasses, sphagnum and forbs. Calopogon is used as an indicator for good remnant hydrology. Their presence is an indication of high-quality soil and surface water. Calopogon plant grows from a small, oblong corms that is loosely attached to the substrate in which it grows. The plant bears a single basal, grass-like leaf, 10-30 cm long and 0.3-1.5 cm wide. The terminal raceme carries 4-12 pink to bright magenta flowers. The flower has one distinctive feature, that is being non-resupinate. The lip of calopogon flower is on the top, not at the bottom as with most of orchid flowers. The labellum is 1-2 cm long and 6-15 mm wide, with the center of the labellum bearing a few yellow-tipped whitish hairs.  Calopogon tuberosus Author: Hans Stieglitz (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0-unported) | ||
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