So I got a lead on a new plant for me. Off we went to locate them. Before we get to the plant, we watched for other interesting stuff.
Stepping outside the car, in the sand I saw this strange small track. Was it a weird beetle I wondered. Well I followed the track.
So the track led me to this poor mangled grasshopper. Mystery solved. 🙂
Next in the sandy path was a hole. It had multiple types of tracks leading away.
However this was the one that caught my eye. Sorta looks like a railroad track, eh.
So I followed it too. It was a millipede! Two for two.
Off the sandy trail we headed into the woods.
Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)!
Then when I stopped for another fern, a Common Woodsia (Woodsia obtusa), a Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) hopped.
Then we found the target plant, the Arizona Crested Coralroot (Bletia arizonica)! Yahoo! Most of you probably heard of it in the genus of Hexalectris. Once again it was changed. LOL.
Such a pretty but unusual flower! And having grown up in farming country with a cornfield right next door to out house, I definitely agree that corn sweat is a real thing.
I love tracks in sand. That frog surely is well camouflaged. Good day you had.
What an exciting find! I haven’t been in the right place to see coralroot orchids in a long time.
Tracks and tubers – was a great day!
Such a pretty but unusual flower! And having grown up in farming country with a cornfield right next door to out house, I definitely agree that corn sweat is a real thing.